The Ministry, Reloaded
by Debwood-1999
Summary: Takes place during the Ministry Era. Stephanie is kidnapped and married against her will in the Black Wedding. However, after learning of her father's treachery, she agrees to stay with the Undertaker in a marriage of convenience...which ends up as something more than Stephanie bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: AAAAHHH...another story that decided to blindside me. Not that I mind! LOL. Sometimes those are the best ones. This one takes place during the Ministry Of Darkness era (I've been getting a lot of my material from that time). Here, Stephanie is kidnapped and married against her will. However, after learning of her father's treachery, she agrees to stay with the Undertake in a marriage of convenience. This one will be considerably faster-paced than my previous Ministry story. **

**If anyone has a suggestion for a title, feel free to throw it my direction.:)**

**DISCLAIMERS: Not mine (except for Anna, and in this one, she's an up-and-coming diva. Don't worry, the story is NOT about her!). Some dialog, ideas, etc., were inspired by MusicChiller20 and her work. She's worth a read, great stuff!**

**BTW, this story is dedicated to the memory of William Moody (aka Paul Bearer), who passed away earlier this year. Rest gently, Friend. We miss you.**

**Our story begins backstage at Backlash (4/25/99), and Undertaker is giving his Ministry a pep talk. It all snowballs from there...**

_**Untitled Ministry Story  
By Debwood-1999**_

_**Chapter One**_

"You've pleased me. Your recent stumblings, they are forgiven, but never forgotten. Now we can move on. We must look to the future. We have to prepare for the eventual arrival of our Higher Power. The Unholy One. Then the calamity begins. Now the destruction begins. Now...the tragedy begins..."

Once the cameras were off, Justin Bradshaw turned to Mark questioningly. "So we're taking her at Backlash, right?"

"That's the plan," Mark answered, going over the details once more with his men. "Vince thinks that Austin will bust in at the last second to save his daughter. What he doesn't know is that I've taken precautions to ensure that Austin _never_ reaches the ring. By the end of the night in Hartford, I'll own the WWF."

"You're not going through with the marriage, are you?"

The smirk on Mark's face and the twinkle in his eye spoke volumes.

~~~MOD~~~

"...Everything's gonna be fine," said Vince McMahon to his young daughter. They were standing in front of a waiting limo parked near the back entrance of the arena. Four police officers stood nearby to ensure that the young woman was safely bundled off before the main event match of the night started. "Just wait for me in the car, okay?"

Stephanie McMahon nodded quietly, looking every bit the part of the obedient daughter.

Vince continued. "And, uh...gimme a kiss." Stephanie pecked her dad on the cheek. "We'll be on our way to Hartford right after this is over, okay?"

"I love you, Dad."

Vince ushered Stephanie into the waiting limo. "I love you too. Stay right here. Atta girl." He closed the door and turned to Providence's finest. "You guys, please keep a really good eye on her, and I'll be right back as soon as this match is over. We'll be right out of your hair, okay? Thank you..."

~~~MOD~~~

Half an hour later, Stephanie was engaged in small talk with the cops guarding the limo. One of the officers was talking about how big a fan his little boy was when the doors to the arena suddenly swung open with a loud _bang!_

"STEPHANIE!" growled a loud, booming voice. Stephanie glanced over her shoulder and gasped. The Acolytes, Farooq and Bradshaw, charged towards the limo, still in their wrestling gear. Heart pounding, Stephanie leaped back into her seat and rolled up the limo window.

Everything happened at once. Three of the cops rushed the Acolytes and kept them at bay. The fourth cop pounded on the roof of the limo, shouting at the driver to _"Go! Go! Go! Go!"_ The limo squealed out of the parking lot and sped away from the arena.

As the vehicle rushed down the street, Stephanie shouted frantically, _"Stop! Stop, driver! Driver, stop! Wait for my dad! Driver!"_

A second passed. Then, the little door separating the driver from the passenger slid open, and a face that to most looked like it came straight out of a nightmare leered at the young woman.

"Where to, Stephanie?"

"DAAAD! DAAAAD!"

The Undertaker howled in laughter as he drove off into the night, a screaming Stephanie McMahon in the backseat. Vince McMahon's youngest child, his daughter, had just been kidnapped by the one man he hated and feared the most.

~~~MOD~~~

Everything went as planned, and by the end of the pay-per-view, Stephanie was in the custody of Mark and his Ministry. He stared down at the trembling girl, now moved to a hotel room in Hartford, under an assumed name, while the rest of the Ministry sent the McMahon's on a fool's errand. Of course Paul Bearer was with him, ensuring that no funny business went down.

Like he wanted to take away this pampered woman-child's virtue. Highly unlikely at the moment. There was nothing special about Stephanie McMahon. She looked like a fresh-scrubbed girl next door. Sweet and innocent. Daddy's Princess. Threaten her, and the most powerful man in sports entertainment would fall to his knees, which was why Vince had Mark target her. It would keep the heat off of Vince, and he and his son could continue with their vendetta against Steve Austin undetected.

What Vince didn't know was that in arranging Stephanie's kidnapping, he'd unwittingly handed Mark ownership of the WWF.

~~~MOD~~~

"Please, please, just let me go. My dad will pay whatever you want!" Stephanie pleaded, trying to meet Taker's green gaze as best as she could, but failing. He was just too intimidating, leaning over her like he was. Was he…_enjoying_ this torment?

"Damn straight he will." 'Taker chuckled, as Paul Bearer looked on, a respectful distance away. He leaned forward so that he could speak softly. "Of course he will, especially after we get you in the family way."

Stephanie turned white and shook her head. "Please just let me go home. My family must be worried sick about me!"

Paul shook his head and patted Stephanie on the shoulder. "You're home now sweetheart," he told her. "Better get used to it. Good night, Princess and congratulations."

Stephanie broke down and cried.

~~~MOD~~~

_Early Afternoon In Hartford, the day of the Black Wedding…_

Knowing that he couldn't keep track of Princess Stephanie 24 hours a day, Mark phoned a trusted friend to do the job for him. Bradshaw's wife traveled with the WWF roster, and she was the first person that came to mind.

Anna Bradshaw's voice sounded tinny through Mark's cell phone, as she expressed her concern over the wedding plans. "Are you kidding? She's barely legal, Mark! Why do you insist on following through with this wedding?"

"Anna, you are one to talk," Taker fired back. "You're _younger_ than she is, and you're already married."

That killed any misgivings the young Mrs. Bradshaw had. "Touché, Mark," she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "And I'd be a hypocrite for complaining about how young Princess Stephanie is. Hell, my mom got married at eighteen. You know what she said when Justin and I announced our engagement?"

"What?"

"She said, _What took you so long?"_ Anna and Mark shared a good laugh. "But getting back to my question. Why do you insist on following through with the wedding?"

"Because it's the best way for us to get what we want." Mark paused. "And that includes your husband, and by extension, you. You shouldn't have to keep working dark matches. I think you're good enough to appear on Sunday Night Heat."

Anna pondered for a moment, and then said, "Okay. I'll do it. But once you're boss, I expect some additional exposure and a spot on the main roster."

"Done." Mark paused. "We're at the Ramada on Morgan Street, half a mile from the arena. I'll have someone wait for you at the front desk…"

~~~MOD~~~

Stephanie lay curled up in a ball in the bed in her hotel room. To say the past twelve hours had been hellish was an understatement.

She'd been locked in this room since the night before and threatened with physical injury if she attempted to escape. To ensure that she stayed put, Taker slept in the same bed as she, as far away as possible, but still in the bed (thankfully, it was a king-sized bed, so there was plenty of room). She had sobbed quietly to herself and barely slept, jumping whenever Mark moved. It was the worst night she'd ever experienced, not just because of the kidnapping and lack of sleep, but because of all of the insinuations and veiled threats.

_He's gonna marry me, and then he's gonna force himself on me! God, I can't deal! I'm so screwed! Where's Dad? Why hasn't he found me yet?_

In the morning, Paul Bearer was kind enough to bring her a light breakfast (a banana, Cocoa Krispies, and some milk) that she managed to eat, and was once again threatened with physical harm if she tried anything stupid. She'd alternated between screaming and cursing the Undertaker and crying until lunch, when she got a sandwich and a Coke. She barely choked that down, before breaking down once again.

How much time had passed since she saw Paul and Mark last? An hour, two? It didn't matter anymore. Her fate was about to be sealed, and she could do nothing about it.

She lifted her head at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. _About time you guys showed up,_ she thought ruefully. No doubt Mark and Paul again, ready to torment her once more. But the person coming to Stephanie's room was neither.

The door to Stephanie's room swung open, and a woman stepped inside, a garment bag and purse slung over her shoulder, and a gift bag in her hand. She was as tall as Stephanie, and wiry, with a tied back spill of honey blonde curls that bounced past her shoulders. Her eyes were steel blue and twinkly, and a little smirk was on her lips. She dropped her purse on the dresser along with the gift bag, hung the garment bag in the closet, and then took off her jeans jacket, revealing a tight fitting purple tank top and baggy black Tripp pants.

"You're Stephanie, aren't you?" the young woman asked as she walked confidently over to the bed Stephanie sat on. Her voice carried a definite Midwest twang.

"What's it to you?"

"Well, Taker thought you'd want some company your own age, give or take a year." The young woman stuck out her hand in greeting, knowing that the princess probably wouldn't accept it, but not really minding. "Anna Bradshaw."

"Bradshaw? The Acolytes' Bradshaw?"

Anna held up her left hand, showing off a nice-sized diamond and matching wedding band. "Justin and I got married six months ago."

"You look...younger than me."

"Yeah. I turn twenty-two in December. Youngest graduating senior at my high school. I was sixteen." Anna paused. "Okay, where were we? Oh, yeah. We have a wedding to get ready for. First, we need the dress, which I conveniently brought along with me, and is now hanging in the closet."

Before Stephanie could say anything else, Anna pulled the dress out and draped it across the bed in front of Stephanie. It was made of black satin, with a handkerchief-styled satin overskirt and an empire waist that tied in the back with a thick black ribbon. The black chiffon underskirt floated to the floor, and the scoop neck and bell sleeves were trimmed with black lace and rickrack. The dress was exquisite, and it looked expensive.

"I'm not putting the dress on!" Stephanie spat. "I don't wanna marry him."

Anna fixed the princess with a look that could freeze a volcano. "Did I hear anyone say that you had a choice in this?" she said, her tone of voice leaving no room for argument.

Stephanie shook her head, temporarily defeated.

"Now come on, it's just us girls." Anna assured her captive. She helped Stephanie out of her clothing and handed her the dress. Stephanie slipped it on, albeit reluctantly, and smoothed out the skirt. Anna nodded, and instructed her, "Okay, turn around. Last thing we need is your skirt all crooked."

An appraising smile graced the lips of Stephanie's captor. "You look beautiful, the perfect dark bride." She stepped back from Stephanie and furrowed her brow in thought. "Now, there's the matter of hair and makeup…hmmm. Nothing fancy. Maybe some lip gloss and clear mascara. We don't want to take away from the sweet and innocent look."

"I can't do this," Stephanie gasped.

"Come on, Princess. It's not so bad." Anna flashed a reassuring smile. "You're just a few hours away from becoming one half of the most powerful couple in the WWF. You'd have more power and influence than you ever dreamed. Hell, If I wasn't married to Justin, _I'd_ put on that dress and walk down the aisle!"

"Then _you_ put this dress on and walk down the aisle, because I'm not doing it!"

"Hmmm…" Anna tapped her chin with her finger. "Let me think about it." She waited a beat, and then said, "Thought about it—NO! I don't wanna be charged with bigamy. Beside, _you're_ the one Taker wants, so deal with it!"

A moment passed, and then Anna reached for the gift bag. "I know it's a bit early, but I thought you'd look cute in this for your wedding night." Anna pulled out a lingerie set from the bag and set it on the dresser. It was a pair of purple panties trimmed in black lace and a matching corset that laced up the back.

Stephanie paled "Oh, my god! There's no way I'm going to wear...that."

"Yeah, you will," Anna shrugged. "Taker will flip when he sees you in it."

"You people are depraved!" Stephanie snarled, blushing. "I'm not marrying him and I'm sure as hell not spending my wedding night with him!" Stephanie clutched her head in her hands and shook it. "He's going to marry me...and then, and then he's going to..."

The room started spinning and Stephanie had to brace herself against the wall to hold her balance. The reality of her situation was beginning to sink in again, and Anna had to catch the princess before she hit the floor in a stone-cold faint. Luckily, Anna was able to rouse Stephanie and get her ready for the big night.

~~~MOD~~~

"Is everything ready?"

Paul Bearer nodded. "Altar, wedding license, all of it." He had instructed Anna to bring Stephanie (accompanied by Viscera, to ensure that the reluctant bride-to-be didn't try to bolt) to the arena basement. Viscera was joined by Mideon to keep the princess in line. "You SURE you want to do this?"

"Of course I am." Taker pulled the hood up on his heavy velvet robe. "It's time to bring her up…"

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This story is going to focus more on Stephanie and her interactions with the Ministry. The rest of the McMahons are going to be more supporting characters than anything else. And don't freak, Stephanie'll thaw out around Mark and his crew...eventually:)**

**BTW, I know that some details (the kidnapping, etc.) were taken from my previous work, but sometimes, it's easier to cut and paste. **

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	2. Chapter 2

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: WOW! I got followers and favorites from the first chapter of my new story! Very cool! To everyone that's reading (even if you haven't marked this one to follow or favorite), I want to give you a big THANK YOU!**

**BTW, I want to thank dixiewinxwrites12 for providing me with a great title for this story. From here on out, this story will be called...The Ministry, Reloaded! Thanks!  
**

**Anyway, the Cocoa Krispies and banana reference in the previous chapter reminded me of breakfast on the morning my maternal grandfather had open heart surgery (this was about 20 years ago). That simple breakfast in the small cafeteria was, for some reason, very comforting, and since then, I've reached for the Cocoa Krispies for breakfast whenever I had some rough patches in my life. **

**Enough of that...ON WITH THE STORY!**

_**Chapter Two**_

_Loading Dock, Grand Chalet Hotel_

_Why do I have the feeling that something bad is going to happen tonight?_

Vince paced nervously across the dock, briefcase in hand. Out of all the performers on his roster, Mark was the only one that he could trust with his daughter's safety. He'd handled himself with tremendous professionalism, and he and the others in the group had not disappointed Vince in any way since the Ministry was first put together.

It would all pay off nicely in the end. Stephanie would be reunited with her family, and Steve Austin would be Mark's next target. Shane would swoop in with the Corporation and merge with the Ministry to create an even bigger and more powerful group. Vince, out of faux gratitude, would team up with Austin to lull the Rattlesnake into a false sense of security until Over The Edge, where he and Shane would team up to screw Austin out of his title.

Everything that had taken place the past four months—the stalking, the beatdowns, the kidnapping of Stephanie and the eventual interrupted wedding—was a gigantic misdirection to keep the heat off of Vince and Shane and the planned screwjob of their biggest nemesis.

Screwjobs were not a new concept for Vince McMahon. He'd orchestrated the biggest one of his career in Montreal, just a year and a half ago. As a result, Bret Hart was embarrassing himself in WCW. Served him right for thinking that he was bigger than the business.

Of course, Vince would have to reveal himself as the Higher Power in front of the entire world, but that wouldn't be for several more weeks. Enough time, he figured, to explain to Stephanie that everything he'd done to her had been for the good of the company. Steve Austin represented everything wrong with the WWF, and to have him as his top draw...it was just unacceptable.

The entire plot had been simple. Put Daddy's Little Girl in a weakened position (Mark and the rest of his Ministry had done the job beautifully), and Vince would drop the WWF like a hot potato, allowing Shane to play his role by picking up the pieces. Shane was the one who gave Stephanie's teddy bear to Mark to burn on live TV. Vince was the one who instructed the Ministry to visit the McMahon home to scare Stephanie and Linda and had the pictures taken. And Shane was the one who picked out Stephanie's "wedding dress" and arranged the second kidnapping.

_Of course Mark would call me if the plans hit a snag,_ Vince told himself. _I trust him._ _I trust him with my daughter's safety. I wouldn't have created this storyline with him in mind if I didn't. So far he hasn't let me down yet._

Vince sighed and glanced at his watch. It was probably a good time to head back to the arena. As long as Steve Austin decided to do the right thing, he told himself, then the ends would justify the means. By the time he returned, he would be able to reunite with his daughter and continue the concerned father charade.

But he still couldn't get the feeling that disaster was going to strike out of his head. It was almost like the universe was telling him, _brace for impact!_

~~~MOD~~~

"WHY? Why are you doing this to me?" rang a terrified scream from the arena basement. "Please let me go! Please, please, no!"

Farooq and Bradshaw dragged Stephanie, now dressed in her black satin wedding dress, to her feet. A black leather collar was wrapped around her neck (Taker had joked that once he married Stephanie, he would attach a leash and lead Stephanie around like a pet). The terrified girl struggled and fought to break free, but the Acolytes had a rock-iron grip on each of her arms.

They dragged her forward until she was face to face with The Undertaker. Leering, he leaned over and stroked the side of Stephanie's face. She flinched. "Please, I'll do anything! Please let me go!"

Taker nodded to the Acolytes who began to drag Stephanie across the floor. Screaming and struggling, Stephanie put up a huge fight, but to no avail.

"Take her upstairs," he said, following the Acolytes. Next to him was Paul Bearer, who shook his head and smiled. In his hands was what looked like an ancient spell book with _Ministerium Et Acerbus_ emblazoned in gold letters across its purple velvet cover.

"Bless her heart," said Paul. "What a shame, what a shame." He and Taker followed the Acolytes out of the basement, with Mideon and Viscera bringing up the rear.

~~~MOD~~~

The Undertaker's music rumbled through the arena and the lights suddenly went out. Everything was bathed in an unearthly bluish light as the Acolytes, Mideon and Viscera carried Taker's symbol to the ring.

Stephanie McMahon, screaming for help, struggled vainly against the ropes that tied her wrists and ankles securely to the symbol. "Please, let me go!" she sobbed, her eyes wide with fright. "Please, let me go! No, please! My dad'll give you what you want!"

On commentary, Jim Ross explained how Stephanie had been kidnapped at Backlash, and that The Undertaker had offered to return her in exchange for ownership of the WWF. His colleague, Jimmy Cornette, pointed out that Vince McMahon had the necessary documentation, and that he'd gone to deliver it, to no avail.

"This is absolutely heinous," sighed Jim Ross. "Absolutely diabolical. This is the personification of evil. There's nobody who's been a bigger fan of The Undertaker than JR, but those days are over, this is not right!"

Carefully, the symbol was slid into the ring beneath the ropes, as Stephanie continued to struggle. "This young woman has nothing to do with any evils her father may or may not have committed against The Undertaker."

"JR, you know the old saying about the sins of the father," said Jimmy Cornette. "But in this case, has Vince McMahon ever committed a sin that would justify this happening to an innocent young girl? And there's nobody here to stop it!"

"Somebody has gotta come out here," JR continued, as Taker's followers stepped in and, with the same care they used to slide the symbol into the ring, propped it up against the ropes. "Who has the courage to come out here and stop this?"

Cornette shook his head. "No matter what you think of this young lady's father, somebody with some guts..."

"This is so sad and so unnecessary. And it's all because of The Undertaker. This is his plan. The maestro of this evil orchestra," JR said in disgust. As the music swelled, Taker stepped into the ring, resplendent in his hooded robes of black velvet and satin. Paul, book in hand, entered as well, standing dutifully next to the Lord of Darkness.

Stephanie looked on, a look of sheer terror on her face, as Taker picked up a microphone.

"Before the ceremony begins," he began, "I must address the McMahon family. I am not to blame for what is about to happen here! Vince, this rests upon your shoulders, because you did not live up to your end of the agreement." He paused. "And Steve Austin...well, I guess he just showed his true colors as well." Taker turned to his right hand man. "Paul, let the ceremony begin."

_"Nooooo!" _Stephanie screamed as Taker took his place to the left of the terrified girl. A loud chant of _"Austin! Austin! Austin!"_ filled the arena as Stephanie made one last plea.

"Vince tried to live up to his end of the agreement." Cornette said. "But Taker wasn't there!"

"Poor Stephanie, this is so sickening," snarled JR. "With this demonic human being..."

"What kind of ceremony are they performing?" Cornette wondered.

JR shook his head "I have no idea."

Paul opened the book. "Dearly Unbeloved," he began loudly, as Stephanie continued to holler in protest." We gather here this evening to join Stephanie Marie McMahon in the unholy wedlock with the Lord of Darkness."

"What?" JR gasped. _"Wedlock?"_

_"It's a marriage ceremony!"_ Cornette exclaimed in disbelief.

Taker whispered, "Fear not, little one. There's nothing to fear," as he ran the back of his hand across the side of Stephanie's face. "There's nobody here who can help you now. Soon, you'll be one of us. Stephanie, it's time to come home."

Stephanie flinched and tried to pull away.

"Tonight," Paul continued. "Stephanie Marie McMahon will step from the light of this evil, cesspool, mortal world into the sanctuary of eternal darkness."

Taker continued to stroke Stephanie's face and hair. Stephanie continued to fight the Lord of Darkness, a look of disgust painted across her otherwise pretty features.

"Keeping this in mind," continued Paul, "Will you, Stephanie Marie McMahon, accept the purity of evil and take the Lord of Darkness as your master and your spouse?"

Stephanie shook her head emphatically, shouting _"No! Nooooo!"_

"Hell no, she's not!" growled JR.

Suddenly, a roar went up from the crowd as Ken Shamrock rushed into the ring, swinging a baseball bat and spoiling for a fight. His efforts were in vain as Farooq and Bradshaw pounced on him like a cat pouncing on a mouse and held him down. Then, with a mighty roar, the 500-pound bulk that was Viscera leaped up and splashed his much smaller victim, knocking the wind completely out of him. Gazing down at him with utter contempt, Viscera rolled the half-conscious Shamrock out of the ring.

As Taker's henchmen dispatched of Shamrock, Paul and Taker gazed down upon the helpless bride.

"Tonight, you will become one with The Ministry," Paul said softly. "You are the chosen one."

Taker leaned over and whispered, "You're mine now. And there's nothing you can do about it." He paused then, and began chanting in what sounded like some ancient language.

Stephanie shuddered.

~~~MOD~~~

Meanwhile in the dressing room, Triple-H, The Big Bossman, and the Mean Street Posse were arguing with Vince McMahon's son Shane, frantically wanting to rush out and save the boss's daughter.

"Hold up! Hold up! Hold up!" Shane hollered, trying to maintain order. "If it gets bad, we'll make our move. Not until then! Trust me, just trust me!"

What none of them knew was that a pair of hooded Druids had locked the dressing room door. One of them slapped the other on the shoulder and nodded, and then silently gestured, _follow me!_

~~~MOD~~~

In the ring, the Black Wedding continued.

"Lord of Darkness," Paul crowed, "Is it your intent to accept Stephanie Marie McMahon, her body, her mind, her soul, and even her breath unto yourself, and allow her to bear your offspring?"

Stephanie's eyes widened in horror and disgust. _"Nooooo!"_ she screeched.

Taker let a slow smile slither across his lips. "It is," he answered in a satisfied purr.

"Yes!" Paul shouted in triumph.

Just then, Big Show, all seven feet and five-hundred pounds of him, thundered and brawled his way towards the ring. He took out Farooq and Bradshaw and pounded on Mideon and Viscera, going easily through the Lord of Darkness's line of defense.

What Show didn't count on was Taker sneaking up behind him and striking him with Shamrock's forgotten baseball bat. Show staggered and tumbled gracelessly out of the ring, where the Acolytes, now recovered, quickly dispatched of him.

"By the power vested in me by the Lord of Darkness," Paul announced, his loud screech carrying over Stephanie's screams, "I now pronounce you as the Unholy Union of Darkness. You may now kiss your bride!"

Taker removed his hood, a triumphant grin on his face, and rolled his eyes back.

"Oh, for God sakes!" shouted JR, before the sound of breaking glass filled the arena. The crowd went crazy as Steve Austin was shown on the Titantron running down the hall backstage, on his way to rescue Vince McMahon's daughter.

He didn't get far. Austin rounded a corner and was jumped by the Druids who'd locked Shane and his crew in the dressing room. The hooded figures stomped, punched and kicked the WWF champ into unconsciousness and threw him into a utility closet.

~~~MOD~~~

In the dressing room, Shane tried the door. "Dammit! It's locked!" he exclaimed frantically, as his companions looked on in shock.

Shane's cell phone rang. He answered. "What? Sorry, Dad."

"Shane, I'm heading back to the arena," he sighed. "What's going on? You sounded like you were going to rip my head off."

"Dad, we have a major problem," sighed Shane, as Taker's music began again. "He's married Stephanie."

Vince felt his blood run cold. His voice was a croak "Oh God. No."

"We tried to stop it, so did Show and Shamrock."

"And Austin?"

"Him too. They were all taken out, and someone locked us in the dressing room. I'm gonna try and call a maintenance guy to have him bust us out of here."

"I can't believe this."

"Neither can I. Dad, this wasn't supposed to happen, but it has. It's over." Shane paused, and uttered four words that he thought he'd never have to utter. "Taker owns the WWF."

~~~MOD~~~

Taker bent down and kissed the struggling Stephanie, whose shrieks were drowned out by the music. Carefully, the Acolytes carried The Undertaker's new wife, still tied to the symbol, out of the ring and to the waiting limo outside.

Once the party was out of the building, the Acolytes untied Stephanie from the symbol. As soon as she was untied, her new husband tossed her easily over his shoulder.

"No!" Stephanie pounded her fists against Taker's back, but it had no effect. "Let me go! Put me down! I just wanna go home!"

Taker's voice was a growl. "Don't fight me, Woman! Your home's with me now."

"You won't get away with this!" Stephanie snarled. "My dad-"

"Is of no consequence," Taker fired back, cutting her off. He shoved his bride into the limo and climbed in beside her, locking the doors so she could not escape. "You belong to me now." He glared at the limo driver and shouted, "Go, now! _Now! NOW"_

Just then, a second limo screeched to a halt in the parking lot. A frantic and disheveled Vince McMahon staggered out. _"Taker, stop! Dammit, stop! Gimme back my daughter!"_ he shouted, chasing after the limo his daughter was in as it rolled out of its parking space. _"She's not your wife, Mark! Bring her back! Mark, you sonofabitch! Give her back! Mark! Stephanie! Stephanie! Nooooo!"_

Stephanie huddled against the passenger's side door as the limo screeched out of the parking lot and Vince fell to his knees. It was the last thing the fans in the arena and the viewers at home saw before _Monday Night RAW_ ended.

"Folks, tragedy is not a strong enough word to describe what we have all just witnessed," announced JR, his voice thick with emotion. "Vince McMahon, the owner of the WWF, watching his empire fall around him, and Stephanie, his baby girl, is now at the mercy of a sick, demonic human being. God help us all."

~~~MOD~~~

"What are you doing? Put me down!" Stephanie snarled, pounding her fists against Mark's back, to no effect. He had thrown her over his shoulder once more, and was carrying her into the hotel (a new one, to throw the McMahon's off their scent) via a back entrance. He would have escorted her down the hall properly, but he didn't want to take a chance of her trying to make a run for it. Besides, there would be plenty of time later to carry his new bride across the threshold properly.

Mark unlocked the hotel room door, carried Stephanie inside and tossed her unceremoniously onto a bed "There! You're down. You happy now?"

Stephanie struggled to sit up. She folded her arms across her chest and fixed Mark with a glare that could break glass. The fear had finally diminished, leaving anger and indignation. "Ecstatic." She cast a glance across her surroundings. It was a typical room, spacious and comfortable enough, with a TV and phone and two beds-

That gave Stephanie some pause. _Two beds? _

"I guess we're sharing a bed," Stephanie sighed, turning away from her new husband's fiery green gaze.

"What gives you that idea?" Mark asked, throwing his ceremonial robes off to reveal his street clothes.

"It's supposed to be our wedding night, right?" When Mark didn't say anything, Stephanie pressed on. "And there's two beds in this room, so obviously, one of those beds won't be used. And I'm surprised that you haven't tried to rip this dress off me yet."

Mark cocked his head.

Stephanie continued, her voice icy. "Look, I don't want you and I don't want you to touch me. But it's obvious that it's gonna happen, whether I want it to or not. So if you're gonna have your way with me, then get it over with."

Mark snorted, and then busted up laughing. "So that's what this is about? You actually think I'm gonna sleep with you tonight?" The thought of corrupting the innocent little princess was tempting...but he thought better of it. They needed to get an early start in the morning. "Get real. I'm not gonna jump you! Tonight, anyway. There'll be plenty of time for that later."

Stephanie refused to dignify that statement with a response.

Mark opened a dresser drawer, rummaged through it and then tossed Stephanie some pajamas. "We're traveling tomorrow, and we'll need our rest." He took his shoes off and plodded into the bathroom. "Change out of your dress and get some sleep, but mind you. I'm a very light sleeper, and if you get any ideas, Viscera is outside the door keeping watch."

Stephanie glanced down at the pajamas that Mark had tossed her, black and white plaid pants and a black top with a purple Goth style cross on the front. Nothing revealing or suggestive about these. She'd half expected the purple and black lingerie, so getting something so tame was unsettling. But, she shrugged her shoulders, deciding that she had no patience or energy to question Mark's choice in sleepwear.

She also decided not to risk venturing out of the room. Perhaps Mark was only BS-ing Stephanie about the 500-pound behemoth watching the door, but she wasn't going to take any chances.

Quietly and quickly, she took the wedding dress off and then slipped the pajamas on. As she was hanging her dress up in the closet, she noticed something twinkle on her left hand. She glanced over, seeing the wedding band. The ring was a small, almost dainty looking, claddagh ring made of white gold, with a blood-red stone as the heart, and diamonds on either side as accents Mark must have slipped it onto her finger after the ceremony when she wasn't paying attention.

A pain bloomed in her chest. The ring may have been small, but to Stephanie, it felt like the heaviest ball and chain ever made. She was now married to the principal owner of the WWF, a man she feared and hated at the same time, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Bathroom's free if you want it," Mark grunted, brushing past Stephanie on his way to the bed. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and sweatpants.

Stephanie muttered a _thank you _and numbly shuffled in. At the sink she washed her face and brushed her teeth, using the products that had been provided by the hotel. A lump rose in her throat as she studied her haunted expression in the mirror. The last few weeks of her life had been horrifying. Not only the abductions (both of them), but the fact that Mark's Ministry had been trailing Stephanie and watching her every move, going so far as to visit the McMahon family home and destroy a cherished heirloom. Everything had culminated in the unholy wedding she was an unwilling participant of.

Stephanie broke. She let herself slide to the bathroom floor and curled up in a ball. Clutching the damp washrag she'd washed her face with, she wept bitterly and quietly, her silent sobs shaking her body. She felt like she'd been whipped from head to toe.

She didn't know how long she'd been in the bathroom, but when Stephanie finally stood up, she was sore and stiff from being curled up on the floor. She dampened the washrag again and dabbed the tearstains off her face. A resigned sigh escaped her. It was obvious now that her father wouldn't be riding to the rescue anytime soon. If she wanted to escape, she would have to do it herself.

But the only thing she could do at the moment, she decided, was get some sleep. Tomorrow would be another day, and she could figure out what to do next after she was better rested.

Mark looked to be down for the count by the time Stephanie crept out of the bathroom. He was sleeping on the bed closest to the door. No doubt to catch Stephanie, should she decide to bolt in the middle of the night.

Stephanie snorted. _Like I'm going to try right now_. She didn't want to deal with her new husband any more than she had to tonight. And being caught by him or his Ministry flunkies was the last thing she wanted to have happen. The nightstand lamp was on. _How thoughtful,_ she thought bitterly, as she climbed into bed and turned out the light. She pulled the covers up to her chin and closed her eyes, too tired to think about escape, and too devastated to even try.

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Stephanie's wedding ring can be found online. Go to Gemvara dot com and do a search for "Heart garnet engagement ring." Stephanie's is the one on the right. **

**For a story that just blindsided me, this one is falling into place very quickly. I'm very very pleased:)**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: HOLY CRAP! TWO chapters in one day! Like Ron Simmons says, DAMN! I'm on a roll!:)**

_**Chapter Three**_

"Good Morning, Mrs. Taker," announced the twangy young voice in Stephanie's head.

Groaning, Stephanie pried open her bleary eyes and saw Anna Bradshaw sitting cross-legged across from her on Mark's bed. She was dressed in a tight fuchsia top and baggy blue jeans, and was ready to go. "How'd you get in here?"

"Mark gave me a key," was all Anna said.

Propping herself on her elbow, Stephanie noticed that Mark's bed was already made, and his things were gone. "Where's Mark?"

"He had to leave early. He and the rest of the Ministry have the Smackdown taping in New Haven this afternoon."

_New Haven…Smackdown!_ Stephanie leaped out of bed, hope daring to well up inside her. "Is my dad gonna be there?"

"Well, he came up with the show idea in the first place. He _has_ to be there. Besides, Mark's not that cruel as to fire him. I mean, Vince is his father-in-law."

Stephanie sat on the bed next to Anna and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Anna, you have to help me! I can't be married to Mark any longer than I have to. Can you help me get to my dad so I can talk to him, let him know I'm okay?"

Anna brushed her captive's hands off her shoulders. "Hands off. And no. I'm not taking you to your dad. And even if I did, we'd be way behind schedule. We're flying out to San Diego for the next RAW taping, and we're gonna be staying there while Mark and Bearer handle the business side of things."

Before leaving for New Haven earlier that morning, Mark had stressed to Anna how important it was to put as much distance between Stephanie and the rest of her family as possible, to prevent the possibility of her escaping. All Stephanie would be given would be her driver's license as identification. Everything else she needed would be provided by Mark, Anna, or the rest of the Ministry.

"Princess," Anna explained, her voice matter-of-fact, "You need to understand that you're a _married woman_ now. Your first priority is not your dad, or your brother, or the rest of your family. It's your husband, and the company that you now own."

Stephanie bowed her head in defeat.

Her captor changed the subject and grinned. "So…speaking of husband…how was your wedding night? Is your new husband good in bed? Did it hurt? Did you have an orgasm? What was it like?"

Stephanie was incredulous. "We didn't _have _a wedding night! We slept in separate beds."

"So you weren't intimate with Taker last night?" Anna looked genuinely shocked as well. "Good Grief! I could name at least ten girls your age, not to mention at least five women on the active roster, who'd give their eyeteeth for a roll in the hay with him!"

"NO!"

Anna couldn't resist. "Have you ever been...intimate with a man?"

Stephanie stared in wide-eyed disgust at Bradshaw's wife, like she'd just sprouted horns and a tail. "What kind of question is that?!"

"It's a completely reasonable question."

"It doesn't deserve an answer, because I'm NOT going to stay married to him!"

"You don't have a choice-"

"Yes I do. I'll call 911 and have you all charged with kidnapping-"

"Good luck with that."

"I wanna go home-"

_"You're NOT going home, Stephanie!"_ Anna exclaimed, smacking the bed in frustration. She had to pause to re-gather her composure. Stephanie, in spite of her innocent appearance, was a tough nut to crack, she had to admit. But Anna could give as much as she got, which was one of the reasons Justin married her. And she suspected that it was why Mark asked her to babysit the princess.

_Take your best shot, Steph,_ she thought. _I'll just throw it right back at you._

"Now, instead of fighting it, you should actually be excited. You're married to the _Undertaker,_ for crying out loud. Just think, you and Taker are the Unholy Union of Darkness. You're now one half of the most powerful couple in the WWF. Do you know how many other girls would kill to be in your place right now?"

"Doesn't matter, because I'm not one of those other girls."

"Yes you are, whether or not you want to be. Like I said, you're not going home, Stephanie. You're married to the Lord of Darkness, and you're the Mistress of Darkness. Now stop arguing with me, it's not ladylike."

"I don't wanna be married to him." Stephanie glanced over Anna's shoulder and saw the door slightly ajar. Perhaps if she ran fast enough, she could make it to the door and rush out into the hall to find safety...

"I don't give a flying crap what you—HEY! GET BACK HERE!" Stephanie bolted for the door, but Anna rushed her and dropped down, strategically placing one of her feet in front of Stephanie's ankle. Before Stephanie realized what was happening, she felt something behind her calf, pushing her forward. With a surprised squeak, Stephanie crashed to the floor, instinctively putting her hands in front of her to protect her face. She wound up with a few scrapes and bruises on her knees, and some rug burn on her hands, but she was otherwise okay.

Anna had just executed a textbook drop toe-hold on her captive.

"Nice try, Princess. But Justin's been training me in his off-hours." Anna twisted Stephanie's arm behind her back and drove a knee into the base of her spine. Stephanie cried out, her eyes watering from the pain. "I wrestle dark matches and prelims. I'm known in the ring as the Ozark Mountain Daredevil."

Anna hauled Stephanie up by the collar of her shirt and tossed her easily back onto the bed. She towered over her captive and folded her arms across her chest. The tone of her voice gave _no room _for argument. "Sit up."

Once Stephanie struggled to sit up, Anna said, "Look, I don't care about what you want or don't want. That's not my concern. My concern is making sure you're comfortable and well-treated, and as far away from your family as possible." A pause. "So either you cooperate with me, or I'll give you more of what you just got."

Stephanie looked down at her feet.

"Come on, Princess. You don't want to be in therapy, physical or psychiatric, when this is all over, do you?"

Stephanie could not meet Anna's fierce gaze, but the self-proclaimed Ozark Mountain Daredevil did make a very good point. Sighing, she shook her head. Her voice was soft. "I guess not."

"Okay, then. Cooperate with me. It'll make the situation a little more tolerable."

"Cooperate, meaning..."

"No backtalk. No snide remarks. Whatever meals are set in front of you, you eat them. Whatever clothes are laid out for you each morning, you put them on and wear them. Whenever you're with Mark or the rest of the Ministry, you speak _only_ when you're spoken to. If I, or Mark, or anyone else in the Ministry tells you to jump, you jump. No questions. No complaints."

Anna paused, and her voice softened as she sat on the bed next to Stephanie. "Look, Princess. I know you don't wanna do this. But it doesn't matter whether or not you want to. What matters is that you cooperate. It'll make this a lot easier to deal with. Besides, I kinda like you, and I don't want to hurt you, but if I have to, I will. Do we read each other?"

After a pregnant pause, Stephanie nodded. "Loud and clear."

"Good," Anna climbed off the bed. "Now wash up and get yourself dressed. Your clothes are in the bathroom. There'll be a van ready to take us to the airport in one hour."

Stephanie followed suit and wobbled into the bathroom, still sore from being manhandled by her captor. "Ozark Mountain Daredevil, huh?" she asked, as she took off her pajamas and turned on the shower.

"Yeah. I'm not quite ready for prime time, but I'm getting there. Mark says I'm good enough to be on Sunday Night Heat.."

"How'd you come up with the ring name?"

"I was born in Springfield, Missouri. I grew up in Republic."

"That was a pretty impressive takedown."

"Thanks. I can teach you. Or Justin can teach you."

"You're not part of the Ministry, are you?"

"I am by association. I'm married to Justin. He makes it a point to ensure that I can handle my business in case your Dad's Corporation tries to hassle me."

"Speaking of which, I will get myself out of this mess, and my dad will get his company back."

Anna snorted at the princess before she busted up laughing. "Princess, do you honestly think Mark is going to give up his new business venture _that quickly?_ He didn't go through all this trouble just so you can go home to Daddy in a couple of days. He's got his hooks in you, and in this company, deep, and he's _never_ letting go. So I think it's time for you to give up the pipe dream of your dad riding to your rescue. Because you're in this for the long haul." A pause. "Now get a move on. Time's a wasting."

"Alright. But I've got a question."

"I've got an answer."

"Why do you insist on calling me Princess?"

Anna couldn't stop the smirk that flashed across her face. "Because I know it pisses you off. Now move it!"

Stephanie finished her shower in record time, not wanting to incur any more of Anna's wrath. She combed out and blew dry her hair and then frowned at the clothing that her captor had set out for her. _Does she actually expect me to wear that, _crossed Stephanie's mind, but it crossed back out again. She'd agreed to wear whatever had been set out for her, and reneging on that promise was out of the question. She slipped into the tight black jeans and the sleeveless purple and black buffalo check blouse, surprised at how good they actually looked on her.

Anna knocked on the bathroom door. "I'm coming in, decent or not," she announced before barging in. She looked up and down at Stephanie's outfit and an approving smile crossed her lips. "That's more your style. Before, you dressed like your mom laid your clothes out every morning." She caught the put-off look on her captive's face and said, "Oh. She _did _lay them out." An awkward pause passed. "Uhmm…shoes and bag are on the dresser. I'm lending you a pair of my boots. If you're not a size eight, well…that's all I have."

The shoes were simple black motorcycle boots that came up just past her ankles. They were comfortable enough to walk around in, obviously broken in. The nice-sized black canvas knapsack that sat next to the boots contained her pajamas (folded up neatly), some underwear, a new powder compact, an unopened tube of mascara, and a brand new tube of lipstick. No money, no ID. Obviously, it was to keep Stephanie dependant on her captors. She didn't like it, but what could she do?

Anna slapped Stephanie gently on the shoulder. "Let's go. We have a plane to catch. Hopefully, our traveling companions were nice enough to provide us breakfast, but I wouldn't hold my breath."

"Traveling companions?"

"Didn't you hear me the first time? We've got traveling companions. You honestly think we're traveling alone?"

"Who are they?"

"Well, they're a couple of kids who have been promised a monster push in exchange for a couple of favors."

"Young kids? A couple of favors?"

Anna smirked as she slung her own travel bag over her shoulder. "Who do you think knocked out Austin and stuffed him in the closet last night?"

Nodding silently, Stephanie decided not to ask any more questions. She turned and allowed Anna to to place a hand on her shoulder and escort her out of the room. Walking down the hall, she saw countless opportunities to run, to call for help or defend herself (groups of people, open doorways, and the like), but after the conversation she'd had with Bradshaw's wife, she couldn't bring herself to do any of that. After all, she'd agreed to cooperate. With the faintest of grasps, Anna was leading her captive to an uncertain future.

~~~MOD~~~

Outside, like Anna said, there was a van waiting, a white oversized Ford van with the hotel's logo emblazoned on the side and on the hood. There were a few bags in the bag of the van; they'd been taken down earlier. The door was slid open, and two young men were in the backseat, one sitting behind the other, with the one in back bouncing up and down. As she was led closer to the van, Stephanie thought she recognized them. _They look familiar. Could they...is it possible...are they-"_

"Matty! Jeffy!"

Jeff was the first to see Anna with her captive. He grinned and waved, as his older brother Matt smiled and waved in silent greeting. "Good Morning, Anna Banana!"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Anna admonished the younger Hardy as she ushered Stephanie into the van. She climbed in next, sliding the door closed. She, her captive, and the Brothers Hardy were the only passengers on this particular trip.

"I lost count after the tenth or fifteenth time."

"You're lucky that I like you, or I'd have snapped your ass in half long ago."

"I'd like to see you try."

"My foot, your ass. Name the time and the place." Anna paused. "Now mind your P's and Q's , Jeff. We've got the boss's wife traveling with us, and we have to set a good example. She may be signing your paychecks down the line."

"Hi, uhhhm...Stephanie?" Matt was much more reserved, and even a bit bashful, as he held out a nice-sized paper sack with a familiar restaurant logo on the side. "We brought you guys Egg McMuffins and orange juice."

"Thanks," Stephanie nodded, as Matt divvied up the goods. She found herself sandwiched between Anna and Matt, and figured out why. With Matt on one side and Anna on the other, she wouldn't be able to make any suspicious moves. One or the other would be watching.

"Let me guess," Stephanie said, as the van driver got in, and the vehicle began its journey to the airport. "You're the two that beat up Steve Austin last night?"

Matt shook his head. "Just me and my boyfriend," he said, before he took a bite out of his own Egg McMuffin.

Stephanie cocked an eyebrow. "Boyfriend?"

"Christian's my boyfriend. Mark made a deal with us."

"Take out Austin, and you get a push," Stephanie nodded.

Jeff chimed in. "Brood's next in line to win the Tag Team titles. Bearer stripped X-Pac and Kane of them last night. Said something about being at each other's throats and misrepresentation. Something like that. But Matty and I weren't there at the meeting last night. We learned all about it from Edge and Gangrel."

"A meeting?" Stephanie looked confused.

"Yeah. Bearer called in all the talent that was still in the building after the show ended, and he pretty much laid down the law. He took the European Championship out of retirement, and there's gonna be a triple threat on Smackdown to determine who faces X-Pac next week."

"Ew! X-Pac?" Anna had a look of exaggerated disgust on her face. "He's a walking, talking bag of cooties!"

Stephanie asked, "Is there something wrong with him?"

Jeff shook his head "No. Nothing that a bucket of hot water and some disinfectant can't fix." Anna and the Brothers Hardy laughed at the joke. The van driver chuckled to himself. Stephanie set her McMuffin in her lap, looking put off.

"So where's that monster push that my _husband_ promised you," she asked, putting _husband_ in air quotes.

"Not for another few weeks," answered Matt, ignoring Stephanie's subtle sarcasm. "He wants to develop us a little more first. So we're teaming up with Michael Hayes. He's gonna work with us until we're ready for prime time, and then we get our push. Soon, Edge and Christian and my brother and I will be on-screen rivals, and then off-screen lovers." The elder Hardy noticed the looks of everyone in the van and asked, "What?"

"Am I imagining things, or did you get laid last night?" Anna questioned.

"What gives you that idea?"

"The way you're fidgeting in your seat, Matty. And if I'm not mistaken, you have that freshly-f?!ked glow about you."

Matt blushed. "Yeah. We did. For some reason, beating up the Rattlesnake last night put us in the mood for some quality bedroom time." He paused, and then grinned. "You know, it was funny. We were getting all hot and heavy and then someone was shouting at us from the other room to be quiet. Christian kinda sits up in bed, and he says, _Why don't you get laid and shut the f?!k up!_"

Stephanie nearly choked on the bite of McMuffin in her mouth. "Guys! PLEASE!"

"Hey, it shut them up!"

"Oh, sorry! We forgot." Anna turned to the brothers. "We have to dial it down a notch. Stephanie's got virgin ears and delicate sensibilities." She paused and smirked at her captive. "But don't worry. By the time the week's over, you'll be asking yourself, _What delicate sensibilities?" _

"We'll corrupt you in no time!" Jeff added, fumbling in his pants pockets for his cell phone.

Matt caught him and said, "Jeffy, if you're about to engage in phone sex with my boyfriend's brother, can you at least wait until we're at the airport and through security?"

Anna snickered, and Stephanie groaned inwardly. _What have I gotten myself into?_

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I have NO idea how the Brothers Hardy turned into horndogs in this chapter. I guess my Hardy muses turned hormonal and gay for some reason. If they sounded over-the-top in this chapter, I really do apologize, and I hope they didn't sound TOO OOC. **

**BTW, if you're wondering why Christian isn't in this chapter (he's only mentioned), I'm following some of the Smackdown card from the first ever broadcast. If you recall, the Brood broke their silence on that first show, and E & C were in New Haven for that memorable interview.**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	4. Chapter 4

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Not a lot to say on this one, but I thought it would be a good idea to get back to Vince and his family to see how they're holding up. A million THANK YOU's to everyone who's followed, favorited, or reviewed this work. **

_**Chapter Four**_

_New Haven, CT_

_4/27/99_

A weary and anguished Vince McMahon climbed out of the limo after it pulled into an underground parking lot. The stress of the past twenty-four hours was etched across his face. Jerry Brisco and Pat Patterson, Vince's two right-hand men, accompanied him as he trudged into the arena. Jerry patted Vince on the back in reassurance.

Behind them, Shane plugged along, escorting his mom. Linda McMahon looked pale and as equally worn out as her husband as she sagged against Shane's shoulder. She'd barely slept the night before, and the stress of her daughter's forced marriage was weighing on her heavily.

The irony was that the two McMahon men who were trying to comfort Linda were the same two men who'd arranged Stephanie's abduction. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration of sorts, with Vince proudly escorting his daughter to the ring to thank those who had saved the day, and with Shane announcing the Corporate Ministry. But thanks to the Ministry's unexpected skullduggery, those plans had been completely shot to Hell. Now, all Vince and Shane could do was try to save themselves from the corner they'd painted themselves into.

~~~MOD~~~

"You know Vince, I think you should call the cops," Pat suggested, cautiously.

Vince, who had been pacing the floor, turned on his heel. _"No!"_ he spat.

"Why not?" Pat asked, raising an eyebrow.

The five of them—Vince, Linda, Shane, Patterson and Brisco—were sequestered in an empty locker room, away from the crowd and the other wrestlers. Vince didn't have the time, patience, or energy to face anyone at the moment. Last night had been a bloodbath, and he wasn't interested in a rematch. "We're not gonna call the cops. We're gonna do it _his _way. We'll let him gloat, and then we'll get in touch with our lawyers and plan our next course of action."

Linda glanced up at her husband in disbelief. She'd been resting her head on her son's shoulder, trying to get some rest. "Vince, how are you going to trust him? How are you going to trust Mark, especially after what he's done? You saw what he did to the Bossman, that damn demonstration at Wrestlemania! Then the kidnapping on Sunday night, and that God-forsaken wedding!" A pause. "Who knows what he's gonna do to her next?"

Vince knelt down in front of his wife and took her hands in his. His voice was soft. "I know you want Stephanie back, believe me. I want her back just as much as you, Linda. But we're gonna do it _his _way,"

Linda nodded and fell silent, Vincent Kennedy McMahon was a hard-nose, and no amount of persuasion, even from his own wife, would convince him to do otherwise.

Finally, Vince's phone rang, interrupting the tension. Vince sprang up to answer it. "Hello?"

_"Vince, you know who this is."_

"I know who this is," replied Vince. He could identify The Undertaker's raspy voice anywhere. "Just tell me, how's Stephanie."

_"She's fine, Vince,"_ Taker drawled. _"As a matter of fact, she's reaaaal fine."_

Vince flinched. "Listen, you've got controlling interest in this company now. You've got it signed, sealed...now I want Stephanie back, and I want her back NOW."

_"Oh, you're one to talk, Vince," _Taker chuckled_. "I warned you what would happen if you slipped up. The agreement was that Steve Austin deliver the documents, and I would return Stephanie unharmed. But you failed to keep your end. And I told you what would happen if you screwed up-"_

"Please! Stephanie's family is worried sick about her! My wife has been frantic! She barely slept last night. We just want her back! I'll do anything—"

"_Of course you will, Vince. Especially after I get her in the family way. She truly is sugar and spice. And I can't wait to corrupt her."_

Vince clenched his fists. _"If you so much as harm a hair on her head," _he snarled,_ "So help me, you son of a-"_

"_Temper, Vince. Temper. I don't want to have to keep you away from any future grandchildren. You need to understand something, now."_ Taker's voice grew stony and cold. "_I own YOU. I own this company, and I own your daughter. Stephanie is now my bride, my wife, and my servant. And you're lucky I haven't decided to toss you all out without a cent to your names."_ A pause. _"Vince, I expect you and Shane at Smackdown tonight. I want the two of you there so that I can officially introduce myself as your son-in-law. Any funny business, and I'll see to it that NONE of your family sees Stephanie again."_

With those last words, Taker ended the call. Vince growled, and then threw his cell phone across the room.

Linda's voice wobbled as she staggered to her feet and approached her husband. "I want my baby girl back!" she moaned, on the verge of tears.

Vince put his arms around his wife and drew her close, making a mental note to have Brisco and Patterson take her back to the hotel as soon as possible. As Linda sobbed into his chest, the former owner of the WWF let his mind drift to the night before:

~~~MOD~~~

_(Flashback)_

Vince felt like he'd been hit with a board as he watched the limo with his daughter inside speed away from the arena. Reality was beginning to sink in as he realized what he'd just done. He'd put all of his trust into Mark...only to have Mark snatch away his company. _Is it possible that he'd planned this all along?_ he wondered.

_I signed away ownership of this company willingly. I don't have a leg to stand on._

Numbly, Vince climbed to his feet. His legs felt like spaghetti noodles as he trudged his way back into the arena. He had a lot of explaining to do, and he didn't look forward to any of it...

A loud snarl drew Vince's attention. He turned just in time to see his son Shane approach him (he'd snuck out of the arena through a service entrance after the maintenance guy had unlocked the locker room). With his face twisted in rage, he grabbed Vince by the lapels of his jacket and shoves him up against the side of the limo.

_"How could you sell out our company, Dad?" _he bellowed.

"You don't think I'm panicking!" Vince shot back. "How was I supposed to know that Mark was going to pull a stunt like this?"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have signed away our family's future like you did!"

_"Tell me something I don't know, Shane!"_ Vince paced the concrete, trying to think of something to say—_anything to say_—that could make things any better. "I know this is a shock, but we can fix this! We'll get Stephanie back, and we'll get the WWF back. But we have to stick to our goal, which is destroying Steve Austin—"

Shane glared at his father, incredulous. _"Everything is different now, Dad! Austin is the _LEAST_ of our worries! Mark and his Ministry own the WWF! And Mark is married to my sister! My brother in-law is a…a…God, I can't even think!"_

"Shane, we'll find some way to get our company back. We'll call a meeting with the Board Of Directors, we can argue that the takeover was illegitimate. We can argue mental duress—"

Shane made a loud exasperated sound and smacked the hood of the limo. _"You think Mark's gonna give it up that easily? Especially after you practically handed the WWF to him all gift-wrapped?" _The younger McMahon ran his hands through his hair. "Use your head, Dad! Would you use your head? And good luck arguing mental duress. If we try, then we risk exposing ourselves. And then we're sunk."

"Shane what are we going to do?"

Shane jerked his thumb towards an entrance door. "I don't know, but right now, we have a bunch of angry guys in the building who are demanding an explanation."

"How angry are they?"

"It's approaching critical mass. I'm afraid we're gonna be walking into World War Three."

Vince shook his head. "We might as well get this over with," he sighed, trudging towards the door.

Shane was right behind him. "I agree. Oh, and Dad?"

"Yeah?"

Shane punched Vince in the face. One of Shane's knuckles bruised, and Vince's head snapped to the side. A tense moment passed, and then Vince chuckled and rubbed his jaw.

"I guess I deserved that."

_(End Flashback)_

~~~MOD~~~

"The WWF returns to network TV tonight, and we're proud to be back! The place is packed, and the fans are pumped up! Hello, everyone! I'm Michael Cole, and beside me at the broadcast table is my colleague, Jimmy Cornette!"

"Michael, it's gonna be a fantastic night! The WWF and network TV – what a combination!"

The crowd quieted down slightly as the ring announcer picked up a microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Vince and Shane McMahon."

Vince and his son, accompanied by security officers, slowly entered the ring, as "No Chance In Hell" played over the loudspeakers.

"He is the former owner of this company," Michael Cole pointed out. "What a horrific few days it has been for him and the rest of his family. As you know, Vince's daughter, Stephanie, was kidnapped at Backlash this past Sunday by The Undertaker, who offered to give her back in exchange for ownership of the WWF. But, according to The Undertaker, Vince failed to live up to his end of the bargain."

Cornette added, "And as all the fans witnessed, Undertaker married Stephanie in that god-forsaken Black Wedding. Now, Vince is reeling, not just over the hostile takeover of his company, but also over the marriage of his little girl, against her will to a man who can only be described as a monster."

"Jimmy, you may wanna watch how you talk about Undertaker, because when he married Stephanie, he gained controlling interest in the WWF. In fact, I'm surprised that Vince and Shane are still employed." Cole paused. "They both look weary and beat down. These past few days, few months really, have been absolutely hellish."

Vince picked up a mike. "Thank you," he said with a brave smile. "I wanna start by saying that I'm pleased that the WWF has come back to network TV. It's a great opportunity for those fans who can't watch the WWF anyplace else. With that said, I have some important things I need to address. I'm very proud of my personal accomplishments, but not so proud of my business ones. I'd like to take this chance tonight to address that."

A loud chant of "A-hole! A-hole!" went up from the crowd.

"I've been that, yes," Vince continued, nodding. "And I am that as well. I know right now that this may be little more than lip service, but hopefully, I can change. In my business life, I've been ruthless and uncaring of others. I've stepped on a lot of toes in the past, and I've probably crushed a few. I've done that in the name of business. And sometimes, I've done that at the expense of my family. So, with that said, my ruthless may have cost me not only my company, but also my family.

"I'm familiar with the saying about the sins of the father. I know that I've committed some atrocities in the past, but I don't know what kind of sin I could've committed that would justify what happened to my daughter Stephanie this past Monday night."

"What happened this past Monday night on RAW can only be described as a tragedy," said Cole.

"Agreed," Cornette nodded. "It was a takeover of the most egregious and sacrilegious kind. Undertaker said that he liked how Vince had planned ahead. Well, Undertaker planned ahead as well, which was demonstrated by those two unidentified Druids locking Shane and the Corporation in their dressing room and attacking Steve Austin when he tried to rush in to save Stephanie. Now Taker has all the power, and Vince finds himself in the unenviable position of being on the outside looking in."

Vince sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "Undertaker, this pains me to say it, but...congratulations. You've done what nobody else has been able to do. You've beaten me. You've won. You now own the World Wrestling Federation, and I guess in essence, you also own me. But really, that doesn't matter. What matters more to me right now is my daughter, Stephanie.

"Her family—her mom, her brother, and myself—all of us have been worried sick about her. The last time any of us saw her in person was at Backlash. I had the unfortunate opportunity to view a tape of the so-called wedding after it took place, and I was sick. Sick with grief.

"Undertaker, I love my little girl more than anything else in this world. And her family loves her more than anything else in the world. So on behalf of her family, I ask of you—I plead with you—please let me have my daughter back. You can have my company. You can do whatever you want with it, but I beg of you..."

Vince's voice trailed off, and Shane took the mike from his father. "As you all know, my dad and I have not seen eye to eye in recent months. To say that we have clashed on the way this business should be run, well...that's putting mildly. But he and I agree on one thing, and that's the safety and well-being of my little sister. So Undertaker, if there is any shred of compassion in your heart, if you have any decency and mercy in you, then please, please! Bring Stephanie back to us. Please give back my little sister."

Just as those last words were uttered, the lights went out, and a bluish glow filled the arena. Vince and Shane froze in the ring like a pair of deer caught in the headlights as Undertaker's music rumbled through the arena. A murmur filled the crowd as a large figure stepped out onto the entrance ramp. Several others followed after him and took their positions.

The lights brightened up slightly to reveal the Undertaker and his Ministry of Darkness. Taker had a dark smirk on his face, and Paul Bearer looked smug. Shouting, jeers, cheers and applause filled the arena.

"There he is," Cole announced. "The owner of the WWF, accompanied by his right-hand man, Paul Bearer. The others, Farooq, Bradshaw, Mideon, and the 500-pound behemoth known as Viscera. The leader of the Ministry of Darkness, and I dare to say Vince McMahon's son-in-law, The Undertaker."

"I still can't get my head around it," remarked Cornette. "He and his Ministry have single-handedly taken down the most powerful man in sports entertainment. Michael, it's absolutely beyond belief."

Taker picked up his own microphone and began. "Vince, I really was hoping you'd be able to attend my wedding to your little girl. It was a lovely ceremony. You really should've tried harder to be there. But I guess you were otherwise occupied. At least I sent you the video."

Vince clenched his fists. "Undertaker, you sonofabitch! Give me back my daughter!"

Taker shook his head. "Vince, I think you seem to forget your position in this company now. You see, I no longer work for you. You Vince, work for me. And instead of making demands of me, you should be thanking me for letting you keep your jobs. I could have thrown both you and Shane out into the street if I wanted to. But that's no way to treat family. And speaking of which, I think we can do away with the formalities now, Vince. I guess from here on out I'll just call you...Dad."

"Oh, God!" groaned Cornette.

"I think Undertaker's enjoying this." Cole added, as Vince and Shane stared at Taker in shocked silence. "Vince looks like he's going to be sick!"

Vince put his hand on his chest and took a few deep breaths. "Look, Taker...Mark, please! This has gone far enough. You can have the company. Title shots, full control, anything you want. Please, just give me back Stephanie. Let me have my daughter back!"

Taker turned to Bearer and looked like he was conversing with the chunky, smirking manager. He then turned his attention back to Shane and Vince in the ring.

"Dad, you and Shane are in no position to negotiate. But, we're all family now, and I know how important family is to you," he said, the tone in his voice mocking, especially when he spat out the words "dad" and "family." "So, since we should all try to get along now, I'll suggest a little compromise. This coming Monday, on RAW, I'll bring Stephanie to the ring with me, and you will see that I've been taking real good care of her. After all, you wouldn't want your precious little girl married to someone who didn't treat her the way a woman should be treated, right?"

Pale-faced, Vince gulped and nodded.

A smile crawled across Taker's lips like a snake. "Then I guess I'll be seeing you this coming Monday, Dad. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take care of some last-minute details before tonight's festivities begin. I wanna make sure I get back in time to spend some quality time with my new bride."

Taker nodded to his Ministry who returned to the backstage single file. When he and Paul were the only ones left on the ramp, he said, "Oh, one more thing, Dad. You'll be happy to know that your little girl saved herself for marriage...and that I was her first."

Taker's music started again, and he and Paul turned to leave.

Vince dropped the microphone he was holding and began to tremble violently. He sagged against Shane for support, and had to be helped from the ring. He looked ready to collapse.

"Oh my God, Jimmy!" exclaimed Cole. "If Vince McMahon could be any more powerless than he was this past Monday night, well, I think we just witnessed it."

"Taker has Vince McMahon by the short hairs," said Cornette. "And there's absolutely nothing he can do about it."

"He's completely devastated," observed Cole. "He just wants Stephanie back, but he's gonna have to wait, like everyone else, until RAW this coming Monday, when he can finally see her."

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: That exchange between Taker and the McMahon men was from Chapter Three of my previous Ministry story. I don't need any steenkin' permission to borrow my own work! LOL If you haven't read Into The Dark, it's still up, and you're welcome to check it out!:)**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	5. Chapter 5

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I wound up taking a bit of a detour on this chapter. I thought a confrontation between Linda and her new son-in-law would work here. Don't panic—Stephanie will make her appearance again in the next chapter. This chapter will include highlights of a meeting between Paul Bearer and his new talent, as well as the revised Smackdown card.**

_**Chapter Five**_

_Paul Bearer had called a meeting in the catering area shortly after the Black Wedding. It hadn't been easy to get everyone gathered; the members within Vince's-now Shane's-Corporation-were about to dismantle the two McMahons the moment they set foot back in the arena. To add more to the fire, Vince had pounced on a dazed Steve Austin, who'd staggered out of the closet following the attack by Matt Hardy and his boyfriend. Only when Paul threatened to put Austin's Smoking Skull belt up on eBay did they all finally stomp into catering._

_Bearer kicked off the meeting by announcing that the everyone was still employed with the WWF, and that the Smackdown tapings would continue as scheduled. However, he and Taker, not Vince or Shane, would be in charge of making the matches. He stated that he and Mark had noticed a large amount of unwarranted favoritism on the roster, with talent getting lost in the shuffle as a result. So, everyone one the roster would be treated more fairly. Those who were held back previously would be give a chance to shine, and for those who'd received everything on a silver platter...the platter would be taken away. _

_"From now on, top to bottom—everyone here is gonna be treated fairly," Bearer explained, knowing that his announcement would be met with some protest. "And that means, you will have to prove that you have earned, and that you deserve, your spot on this roster."_

_Paul's first decision was to strip Kane and X-Pac of the Tag Team titles, citing personality clashes as the reason. To decide the new champions, Paul made a match between the #1 and #2 contenders, the New Age Outlaws, and The Brood. He then announced that the European Championship would be brought out of retirement, and that X-Pac would have a shot at it once again, after a triple-threat match on Smackdown to determine his challenger._

_He also made a non-title match between Austin and the Rock. If Rock won, he would be Austin's #1 contender once more, since he'd used up his rematch clause at Backlash. It was met with some protest, but Paul explained that it would be an opportunity for Rock to show how determined he was to win the title back, and a chance for Austin to show how determined he was to keep the title but the plans had already been made to maneuver Taker into that position. The two rivals understood Bearer's point of view, but they didn't necessarily agree with it._

_The next big topic was outside projects. Bearer requested that if anyone had other projects—TV shows, movies, radio shows, photo shoots and the like—they needed to be run by Paul or Taker first so that plans could be made for the rest of the roster in advance. He made Sable, the current Women's Champion, his example. _

_"You've gone all Hollywood on us," Bearer admonished her. "You think you're better than any other woman on this roster just because you're on the cover of an adult magazine. And I've been informed that you're going out on another magazine shoot next week. Well, that's gonna be a problem because you have 30 days in which you must defend your championship." _

_To remedy that, Paul made a match between the Femme Fatale and an opponent that would be chosen for her by the new ownership. And Sable, not her bodyguard, was expected at the Smackdown taping to compete, or she would be stripped of her championship and suspended for 60 days._

_"I don't care if you're Cameron Diaz!" Bearer spat, when Sable protested. "You're making a mockery of the Women's division, and I'm not gonna stand for it. If you're a champion, I expect you to act like one."_

_Taker's right hand man wrapped up the meeting with an announcement; "Ladies and gentlemen...tonight marks the dawning of a new era in the World Wrestling Federation...The McMahon-Ministry era...and anyone has any questions or concerns, they can talk to their new boss...tomorrow…after he returns from his wedding night."_

~~~MOD~~~

_As the World Wrestling Federation's network television special got underway, Vince and Shane McMahon came to the ring. Vince thanked the fans for their support, and explained that while he was pleased with his personal accomplishments, he was not so proud of his business ones. He also took the time to address the situation pertaining to the Undertaker marrying Stephanie, resulting in the hostile takeover of the WWF. He and his family were sick with grief over the forced marriage of his daughter to the Lord of Darkness, and he and Shane pleaded with the Undertaker to return the unwilling bride to her family. Just then, the new owner of the WWF made an appearance, along with his minions. The Undertaker put Vince and Shane in their place, explaining that the McMahons worked for him. After some additional words were exchanged, Taker told his new father-in-law that Stephanie would appear live on Monday Night RAW next week. Before leaving for the night, Taker fired a parting shot, gloating that his new wife had saved herself for marriage!_

_Owen Hart was scheduled to take on Val Venis in the first match of the night, but Owen was nowhere to be found. So Jeff Jarrett came down to the ring with Debra to substitute for the no-show. However, the Blue Blazer attacked Val from behind and he took on the adult film star one on one. Val hit the Blazer, who suspiciously looked and talked exactly like Owen, with a Fisherman's suplex. However, Debra distracted the referee, and Jarrett came in the ring and kicked Val below the belt. The Blazer/Owen, pinned him for the win. After the match, the Godfather came out to try to claim Debra as his newest ho, but the Blazer and Jarrett chased off the self-styled pimp._

_Val was pleasantly surprised backstage when Ryan Shamrock appeared in his dressing room to "cheer him up!"_

_A little later, Kevin Kelly interviewed the Blazer, who said he was here because the Federation needs a superhero. He reminded all his "little Blazers" to say their prayers, take their vitamins and drink their milk._

_In singles competition, Droz (accompanied by Prince Albert) took on D'Lo Brown (with Ivory). When D'Lo climbed to the top rope, Prince Albert entered the ring and dropped him with a fall away slam, ending the match in disqualification. Droz and Albert were set to give a dazed D'Lo a piercing, but Ivory sprinted to the back and came back out with "Sexual Chocolate." Mark Henry made his return from a knee injury-just in time to save D'Lo._

_Next up was a match put together by Paul Bearer and The Undertaker. It was a Triple Threat match, and the winner would receive a shot at the European Championship, which had been retired by Shane McMahon several weeks earlier. Mideon, Test, and Triple H each took on each other in a display of power, agility, and brute strength. During the match, Chyna interfered in an attempt to swing the match in Triple H's favor, but she was knocked off of the ring apron during an Irish Whip by Test. As a result, she was ordered back to the locker room under threat of suspension. In the end, the Ministry's eyes and ears finished off Triple H with an Eye Opener DDT for the victory!_

_After his match, Mideon received a bucket of KFC from "Your new boss." The Ministry's "eyes and ears" looked quite happy as he sat down and tucked into his surprise dinner._

_A battle between two heavyweights was next, as Big Show took on the 500 pound behemoth Viscera. It was a solid back-and-forth match, and Show was remarkably agile for someone his size, even going so far as drop-kicking his opponent! But it was Viscera who ultimately got the victory._

_After that match, Smackdown took a special look at Sable and how the femme fatale has "gone Hollywood," listing her multiple appearances on _Pacific Blue, Happy Hour, Extra, Regis, ET, TV Guide, Playboy,_ etc._

_The King of Hardcore, Mankind, took on Big Bossman and Kane in a Hardcore Handicap match. It was a brutal fight, during which Bossman tried to flee the ring; he was stopped by Test, who tossed him back in the ring. He tried to escape a second time, but he was then interrupted by Big Show. This time, Bossman staggered Show with a low blow and fled backstage with the Big Show following. From there, Mankind turned his attention to Kane, knocking out the Big Red Machine with the Mandible Claw for the victory. After the match, Mankind stormed out in search of Bossman, calling him a coward._

_Dok Hendrix conducted a special interview with the Brood, who broke their silence for the first time. Gangrel said their visions of darkness are not the same as the Undertaker, and that is why the Brood left the Ministry. Edge said that people that don't understand the Brood would learn in time. Dok said he believed that the Brood was just a gimmick that Christian, Gangrel and Edge were using to draw attention to themselves. Gangrel countered that Dok was the one who was a gimmick-calling him "Michael." Perhaps as punishment for calling them a gimmick, the Brood gave Dok a blood bath!_

_Sable, who was forced by Paul Bearer to appear solo, prepared to take on her mystery opponent. To her shock and horror, the Femme Fatale's opponent was her bodyguard, Nicole Bass! The champ got in the face of the world's biggest female body-builder, but Nicole announced to the fans in attendance—and to Sable—that she was quitting as Sable's bodyguard!_

_Nicole didn't so much beat Sable as she humiliated her, beating the Playmate in less than a minute with a chokeslam!_

_After the match, the new Women's Champion celebrated in the ring as Sable fled backstage in tears. _

_The New Age Outlaws prepared for their Tag Team Championship match on RAW by taking on the Mean Street Posse. Both teams looked like they were having difficulty working in the ring, especially the Outlaws, who were unusually non-cohesive. During the match, the Brood (without fanfare) came down to watch their opponents, perhaps in preparation for the upcoming championship match. In spite of their lack of communication, the Outlaws won the match, but a heated exchange followed. Suddenly, the arena lights went off, and _all four _combatants were the recipients of a blood bath!_

_Kevin Kelly interviewed Ken Shamrock – still smarting from an attack by the Acolytes on RAW. Ken fired back with the following: "You cost me that match against the Undertaker, Bradshaw - and tonight you will pay for that. Street fight rules - see, I was born on the street, I was raised to fight. I fought for space - but Bradshaw I want you to understand one thing. I'm gonna break your arms, I'm gonna break your legs, and I'm gonna break your spirit - and then when I'm through with all that, then I'm gonna beat the crap outta you some more. So you willing to lay it all on the line? I am. I'll see you in the ring, punk."_

_In the anything goes Street Fight, Ken Shamrock took on Bradshaw. The "World's Most Dangerous Man" was able to choke out Bradshaw with a little help from a baseball bat and win the match. Afterwards, however, Shamrock refused to release the hold until Farooq stormed out and clobbered the MMA superstar. Shamrock lay out cold as Farooq helped his partner backstage._

_The Rock took on Stone Cold Steve Austin in a non-title match for the Main Event. Austin came out and quickly fired away with roundhouse rights, kicks and stomps. Whip, duck, duck, Rock grabbed the rope and went outside the ring, stomped halfway up the ramp, then reconsidered and returned to the ring. Big right hand, and an Okie blow. Austin threw Rock into the ring. Snapmare, elbowdrop, 1, 2, and a kickout. A suplex with authority, and another two count by Austin. Rock hit a swinging neckbreaker and the tide turned. Rock shoved away the ref but didn't get disqualified. Then, Austin to the outside, with Rock following, and a clothesline over the barricade. Austin came back with a barrage of rights, and then grabbed a chair, but Rock kicked him in the gut before the Rattlesnake could use it. Rock then put the boots to him. Austin's head met the Spanish commentary table and then, the Spanish commentators. Then Austin fired back and the ROCK was laid out on Cole and Cornette's broadcast table. A piledriver attempt on the floor was countered with a back bodydrop. A lariat move by the Rock was met by a huge "Austin" chant. Austin was thrown back in. A right hand by Rock, whip, sleeper! Austin backed him into the corner, elbows out, right hand, whip, reverse, back elbow by the Rock. Bodyslam. A People's elbow connected. To the rear chinlock. The crowd was on their feet. Arm falls once, arm falls twice, arm didn't fall thrice. Austin powered himself up and elbowed out, and threw a lariat, which Rock ducked a lariat and delivers one of his own for 2. Suddenly, Undertaker and Paul Bearer returned to the ringside. Undertaker was holding a shovel. Austin got back up. He and Rock traded blows, but then Austin got his second wind. Kick, Stunner attempt is blocked! Rock Bottom attempt is countered - kick, STUNNER! Referee Earl Hebner gets into position, 1, 2, Bearer pulled Rock out of the ring!_

_On the outside, Rock got into Bearer's face before he jumped back into the ring. At that moment, Taker leveled Austin with the shovel, and Hebner had no choice but to call for the bell. The match ended in a double disqualification, and Rock and Austin confronted Taker and Bearer. The new owner of the WWF gestured towards Austin's belt, and then motioned around his waist with his hands before leaving a dumbfounded Rock and Austin in the ring. The gesture was clear—Taker wanted Austin's championship, and the non-title match had been a distraction!_

_So the stage was set for Monday Night RAW. Nicole Bass was the new Women's Champion. The Brood and The New Age Outlaws would fight for the Tag Team Championship. Mideon and X-Pac were set for the European Championship. And Mark would begin his road towards championship glory._

_And Mr. McMahon—not to mention the Corporation—was nowhere to be found. It was clear that the McMahon Ministry Era didn't need them._

~~~MOD~~~

_Stamford, CT, WWF Headquarters_

_4/30/99_

"I have to admit that the decisions that you and Paul have made were...shall we say, controversial?" Linda said to Mark and Paul Bearer, who were seated in a now-empty conference room. It was late morning, and a meeting had just been held between Linda, Paul, and the Board of Directors, who discussed the recent turn of events. To take her mind off of the kidnapping/marriage of her daughter, Linda had decided to throw herself into her work. "I understand why you and Paul made the match between Rock and Austin. You've made it clear that you want Austin's championship."

"I'm the big dog in the yard. Of course I want it. And I want to win that championship by taking on Austin. I don't want to win it because someone screwed him out of it."

Linda cocked an eyebrow and reached for the coffee mug in front of her. She blew across the coffee to cool it, and then took a sip. "Screwed him out of it? Vince made sure that Austin _wasn't _screwed out of it at Backlash."

"Correct, but he didn't do it out of the kindness of his heart, Linda. Have you stopped to think that maybe the Ministry and the Corporation have something in common?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Perhaps I've said too much already, Linda. Perhaps you should go to your husband and ask him about the _Higher _Power, and what it has to do with the Corporation and the Ministry."

Linda nodded. "The triple threat match was interesting. It raised a few eyebrows, yes. But I admire Paul Bearer laying the law down with Chyna being at ringside."

"Chyna is active talent. She shouldn't be doing someone else's dirty work. She should be competing, not interfering in someone else's business."

"And that brings me to the most controversial decision. Nicole Bass. My husband was going to put her in an angle with Jeff Jarrett and Val Venis. Now she's Women's Champion."

"You have to have controversy to make things interesting," A smirk graced Mark's lips. "Paul and I knew that Nicole would be a champion everyone would talk about. Sable was getting complacent. The fans were tired of her gyrating and blowing her horn about all the stuff she's done in Hollywood instead of going out there and doing her work. She needed a reality check. And speaking of controversy, Nicole's part of the Howard Stern Show. If she's champ, Stern's listeners will check out the WWF because of her. And the WWF fans will check out Howard's show for the same reason. It's a win-win situation."

Linda couldn't argue with Mark's logic. "Before we move any further, gentlemen, I want to ask you...is Stephanie okay?" Linda fixed her now son-in-law with a look that could peel paint. Her voice was like acid. "I don't want to hear an answer from the Phenom, the Lord Of Darkness, or whatever the hell you're calling yourself this week. I want to hear it from _you. Mark. The man."_

Paul Bearer nodded and mouthed something to his charge. Mark fixed his gaze at Linda. "I can assure you that Stephanie is being well treated. As far as all the insinuations on the Smackdown broadcast and the threats that I made off camera...I have not touched her in any way."

"Where is she?"

"I can't disclose that right now. All I can tell you is that Stephanie is safe, and she's being treated well." A pause. "I don't want your daughter in the way you think, Linda. What I wanted was for your husband to cave in to my demands. I wanted controlling interest in the WWF, and this marriage was the best and fastest way for me to get it."

"My husband has been in conversation with his personal attorney," said Linda, her voice formal and stiff. "He's reassured us that he has a good case for annulling this forced marriage to our daughter." The lawyer had explained to the elder McMahon that fraud, physical or mental incapacity, force, or duress, were legitimate grounds for annulment in the state of Connecticut.

"Before you move forward with that, let me bring up a few points. The Smackdown ratings were through the roof, and the RAW scored a 6.1 this week. WCW had a 3.6. Which means that two million plus viewers were watching us instead of WCW. We've been beating WCW consistently. and I know that we can do even better than we have already."

"Okay, if you think you can improve the ratings, fine. But was it necessary to torment my daughter and the rest of my family?"

Paul chimed in. "Linda, have you ever stopped to think that maybe there's more to this than you think? We didn't do anything that wasn't asked of us."

Linda shook her head. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Paul sighed. "The Ministry Of Darkness was created by your husband in an attempt to take the WWF title off of Steve Austin."

"WHAT?!" Linda had to sit down for a moment. "That is utterly preposterous! My husband wouldn't behind something so...heinous!"

"Linda," Mark explained. "Your husband seems to make more enemies than friends these days. Especially when it comes to Steve Austin. You can't mention that man's name without Vince throwing a conniption fit."

"That is true." Linda had to agree with her son-in-law. Vince was a master at backstabbing, ego trips, screwjobs, and all-around chicanery. But would he really go so low as to drag his on daughter into his schemes? "But what does this have to do with Stephanie?"

"It's all a matter of misdirection..." Mark said, laying everything out as best he could. It was a huge risk, explaining the storyline to Linda. But Paul had reasoned with his charge, explaining that it would be to the Ministry's benefit to have Linda in their corner.

Linda seemed to be receptive, and by the time Mark finished, she was nodding in agreement, even though she didn't want to admit it. But still..."I don't want to believe that Vince would be so cruel."

Paul tried to reason with her. "I know he's your husband, and Shane's your son. But they risked running this company into the ground if they continued what they were doing."

"This is all hearsay," Linda countered. "Give me some kind of proof that my husband and son were willing to sacrifice Stephanie to get to Austin."

Paul glanced over to Mark, who sighed and pulled something out of the inside pocket of his coat. Setting it in front of Linda, he said, "Here's your proof."

Linda's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the fuzzy brown toy in front of her. "It's Teddy! Stephanie's bear. She was planning to give him to her first child..." She picked up the cherished heirloom in disbelief. "I thought you burned it!"

"Your husband gave me her bear to set on fire. I never stole it. I never broke into your house. And even if I did, I wouldn't have known where to find this. The only people who would have known where Teddy was kept were you, Vince, and possibly Shane."

Linda picked up the bear, her face going white. "The teddy bear you burned on TV..."

"I sent an associate out to purchase one at a thrift store in Chattanooga," Paul explained. "Mark and I aren't so cruel as to burn something that obviously has sentimental value. We're not heartless."

"I can't believe Vince would be so cruel..." Unshed tears prickled Linda's eyes as she set the bear down on the table. "I'm sorry," she warbled, sounding like she was ready to cry. Paul nudged a box of Kleenex towards her. Grateful, Linda took a couple and dabbed at her eyes.

"Linda," Paul said. "Look at me. This conversation MUST NOT leave this room. Your husband can't know that you know about his plot. Mark and I want to be the ones to call him and Shane on this so that it NEVER happens again. We want to deal with him in an arena, not a courtroom, so let us handle things our way."

Linda took a moment to compose herself. "I'm not as underhanded or sneaky as Vince, but I will keep this private. We never had this conversation," she said softly.

Glancing down at her cup of coffee, she took a ladylike sip. "Mark, I'm going to be as honest and objective as I can. You know how I feel about you marrying my daughter, especially in the manner that you have. My husband and I know how dangerous this business is, and we've done our best to keep Stephanie as far away from it as possible. This is extremely difficult for me to accept, especially when you take the circumstances surrounding this marriage into consideration. So I can't in good conscience give this my blessing." A pause. "But against my better judgement, I'm not going to stop you either."

Mark nodded. "I understand, and I respect that."

"Now, with that said, the Board and I think you and Bearer did a helluva job putting together Smackdown. I can see that you have the best interests of this company in mind. So for the time being, I won't stop you from running the WWF, and I'll let you handle things your way." Linda took another sip of her coffee, then set it aside so that she could grab Mark by the front of his shirt and lock eyes with him. Her voice was a low hiss. "But if you harm my daughter, physically or mentally, any further than you already have, then I WILL staple your spleen to a lightpost, and I WILL take legal action to forcibly oust you and your regime from this company. Is that understood?"

"Last thing I want to do is jeopardize what I have now. I hear you loud and clear, Linda..."

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: WOW! Abrupt end much? LOL I couldn't think of a good stopoff point. I promise we'll check in on Stephanie and her captors. Don't worry, Stephanie's okay...I hope. **

**BTW, please let me know if there's inconsistencies in this chapter or this story so that I can fix them. Thanks!**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	6. Chapter 6

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: What a crap week it's been for me. I had to put my car in the shop to get it fixed. Intake manifold failed, cost me $600—OUCH! Good thing I have a savings account to take care of those unexpected expenses. *SIGH* just glad it's over. I haven't even had time to break in my brand new set of erasable pens imported from Japan! **

**But now that the car's fixed, I can take it up into the mountains to visit my favorite uncle for his July 4****th**** birthday! Maybe I can play with my pen set then.**

**Okay, enough personal chitchat. We're heading to San Diego, where Stephanie's being held against her will. Don't freak, she's not being beat up or mistreated. That's been done too many times before in fanfic, so I did something different. It's Friday afternoon, and Stephanie's washing up.**

**BTW, this chapter will contain some suggestive visuals;) Hmmmm...perhaps the princess is starting to thaw out LOL. Anyway, I'll try to keep it rated T if possible.**

_**Chapter Six**_

Stephanie turned the shower off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself, and listened to the water die with a drip and a gurgle. It was late afternoon, and she wanted to wash up before dinner. _Better hurry,_ she told herself. _Wouldn't want Anna pounding on the door asking if I'm waiting for Christmas to hit me._

A tired sigh escaped her as she glanced over at the change of clothes on the counter. She was already used to the pants; usually Anna set out pencil-slim jeans or denim shorts for her to wear, and tonight it was a pair of denim shorts. Her shoes were gladiator-style sandals with zipper and stud details that were comfortable, but their flat soles made them hard to walk around in, let alone run in. The tops...she was still getting used to those. This evening, it was a sheer, sleeveless blouse with a lovely floral print, and black trim. It would have looked right at home hanging in Stephanie's closet, had it not been for the row of little silver studs on the shoulders.

The wardrobe that the Ministry had provided her with was all full of dark colors and accents that were goth/punk; lace, velvet, corsets, shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, leggings, undergarments, makeup and jewelry, apparently chosen to reveal more of Stephanie's body than she was used to or comfortable with. Not a penny loafer or sweater set in sight.

Stephanie was sequestered in a two-bedroom hotel suite with kitchenette and bathroom. It was large and comfortable, furnished in bright colors, with modern appliances in the fully stocked kitchenette and full sized products in the bathroom. The suite she shared with Anna was on the top floor, with a stunning view of the courtyard and swimming pool, and the bay just across from the hotel. The airport was less than a mile away, and Stephanie could look out her bedroom window and watch planes take off and land. Matt and Jeff were across the hall, sharing a suite of their own.

She suspected that the location wasn't picked just for the amenities. She realized that the suite was so high up, she wouldn't be able to climb out a window or rush down the stairs, making escape a non-issue. Plus, if for whatever reason her family was able to track her down here, she and her captors would be able to rush to the airport and escape quickly.

Stephanie spent the time when she was locked up in the suite reading, watching TV or listening to the CDs that Anna had been gracious enough to provide her with. She was forbidden to make _any_ phone calls, for concerns that she might tip someone in her family off to her location (not that it mattered; Anna was usually on the phone with her husband each night anyway, conveniently positioned next to the main door to the suite so that Stephanie wouldn't get any ideas). When Stephanie wasn't locked up, Anna, Jeff or Matt was her constant chaperone. They ate meals together, worked out in the hotel gym, swam and lounged by the pool, and shot a few games of billiards. They cooked some meals in the kitchenette and ate in the suite. They'd even gone sightseeing; the Gaslamp District, the USS Recruit Museum, and Liberty Station. They were even planning a trip to Sea World, if they had enough time before the RAW broadcast on Monday.

Under different circumstances, Stephanie would have thought of this as a fun-filled vacation with a group of friends. But Anna's words,_ He's got his hooks in you, and in this company, deep, and he's _never_ letting go,_ still rang in her ears and yanked her back into her new, scary, reality.

She was following Anna's advice, and cooperating as much as she could. She put on the clothes that were laid out for her, ate the meals that were provided her, and spoke as little as possible. While she still didn't like the situation she was forced into, the advice did make Stephanie's captivity more tolerable.

Stephanie toweled off, blow dried her hair, and slipped into her outfit. Though she didn't want to admit it, she actually liked this particular outfit, the denim shorts and blouse. She looked both innocent and..._rebellious? _A chuckle escaped her. If she ever managed to get home and put on something in her closet, she'd actually feel overdressed.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, Stephanie could hear the familiar sound of plates being pulled out of a cabinet and drawers being opened and closed. Someone was setting the table for dinner. Anna most likely; the words _domestically challenged_ were not in Mrs. Bradshaw's vocabulary. On the nights or days that she cooked, she put together some meals that were actually good.

"I'm about to serve dinner," Anna said in greeting. She was taking a skillet off of the two-burner stove and sliding the contents onto each plate. "Downstairs doesn't have their reception and light dinner on Fridays."

"I didn't feel like going downstairs, anyway."

"I picked up some groceries. Thought you'd like something…sophisticated to eat."

Stephanie's mouth watered and her stomach growled at the sight on her plate. "Grilled salmon," she nodded, seating herself at the table. "And what else is on my plate?" A pause. "Not that it doesn't look good, it does! I just never saw that before."

"That's ratatouille," Anna explained, seating herself. "It's a stewed vegetable dish. Eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic. They make a really good one at the bistro across the street." Anna paused, and then picked up a fork. "Eat up."

The two young women ate in almost companionable silence, the only noise in the room coming from the TV broadcasting the local news.

"I was on the phone while you were taking your shower," Anna announced, quietly. "The Ministry's gonna be here later tonight."

"Any idea as to when?"

"Plane comes in at 8:30. Rest of the roster's gonna be here tomorrow." Anna paused. "I know you're not exactly looking forward to seeing Mark, but...I thought you should know."

Stephanie nodded. "What do I say to him?"

"Like I said, speak only when you're spoken to around him. And that goes with the rest of the Ministry."

Stephanie speared a piece of zucchini with her fork. "I should be able to do that. As long as he doesn't say anything vulgar to me."

A smirk crossed Anna's features. "He won't. He got most of that out of his system last night on Smackdown."

Stephanie went back to eating her dinner, her features arranged in a bland expression to conceal her disgust and contempt at her new husband and his audacity. The nerve of him referring to her father as _Dad!_ Making a mockery of marriage and family! And emasculating her father and brother by announcing that they now worked for Taker! _You'll be happy to know that your little girl saved herself for marriage...and that I was her first, _was the pièce de résistance.

After another bite of her grilled salmon, Stephanie asked, "Did he really have to go _there?"_

"Go where?"

"That crack about me saving myself for marriage."

"Well, is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Did you save yourself for marriage?"

Stephanie blushed and stared down at her plate, deciding that the rest of her grilled salmon was more interesting. "Do I really have to answer that?"

"It's not gonna leave this suite. And I think it's pretty obvious, the way you've been dancing around the question."

Stephanie let out an exasperated sigh and set her fork down. "Alright! Yes! I saved myself for marriage! I'm a virgin! You happy now?"

"Sweet! You're a virgin!" Anna couldn't help but state the obvious. "Taker really IS gonna be your first! Virginity...we're gonna have to do something to...remedy that."

Stephanie shook her head at the Ozark Mountain Daredevil. "Remedy that? You make virginity sound like it's a bad thing."

Anna busted up laughing. "There's nothing wrong with virginity. Hey, Justin was my first, and I saved myself for him." She pushed her plate aside and leaned forward across the table. "Virginity is not a bad thing. You don't want to give that up for just anyone. Years and years ago, virginity was something that was sought after. These days, people look at you funny when you haven't given up the V-card." A pause. "When it's time for you to give that up...it can be a memorable experience for all the right reasons. And when you wait, it's even more special."

Stephanie cocked an eyebrow. "V-card. Never hard of virginity being referred to like that. But I'm not giving my V-card to...him!"

"Why not? Mark's a total gentleman. He won't push you into anything you don't want."

"I don't want him."

"Uhmm...the twinkle in your eye and the blush on your cheeks tells me otherwise," Anna grinned like a Cheshire cat. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but you couldn't keep your eyes off of him last night when we watched Smackdown. Especially when he showed up during the Austin-Rock match. I think you 're actually attracted to him. You just don't wanna admit it."

Stephanie shook her head. Anna had pressed some buttons that Stephanie didn't want pressed, and it made her vastly uncomfortable. Hopefully, her family, her father in particular, was moving heaven and earth in their efforts to bring her home and annul the marriage. She wouldn't stay married to Taker any longer than she had to, Mistress of Darkness or not. And she wasn't going to become attracted to the Lord of Darkness, let alone give him her virginity (or as Anna so bluntly put it, her V-card), anytime soon.

Changing the subject, Stephanie asked. "Uhmmm...you didn't happen to get anything for dessert, did you?"

~~~MOD~~~

Stephanie gazed out the window at the twinkling San Diego skyline. It was two in the morning, and Anna (and Justin, who had arrived earlier) had already crashed for the night. Taker and the rest of the Ministry had headed straight to bed almost immediately after arriving at the hotel, so she hadn't had a chance to interact with them. Stephanie would have joined them in slumber earlier, but she was too keyed up to do little else but lie under the covers and try to calm her racing mind. So she decided to climb out of bed and walk around a little.

It would have been the perfect chance for Stephanie to make a break for freedom. It was late night, and everyone was fast asleep. She could tiptoe across the floor and nudge the door open enough for her to slip through and then rush down the hall and down the stairs like a thief in the night. She could tell the on-duty desk clerk to call the police. Stephanie would be safe, and reunited with her family, and then Taker would be arrested, as well as Anna and the others-

But for some reason, she just couldn't pull the trigger.

_No! Wait! I can't do that! _Stephanie thought, frantically. _I don't wanna get them in trouble! I...like Anna, and she's been good to me. I haven't been mistreated, and Mark hasn't injured me. He's just given me a lot of big scares, really. Besides, Anna and me, we've been planning a trip to Sea World with the Hardys and their boyfriends tomorrow. That's gonna be fun, I've never been to Sea World-_

_God! Why am I thinking like this! They all deserve to be put in jail! But...I can't do it!_

Stephanie was bewildered. The Ministry had been making the lives of her family, and her life in particular, a nightmare for months. Stalking, kidnapping, destruction of property, and a forced marriage. Everyone involved deserved to be booted out of the WWF and locked up for years, but...was she actually feeling..._sympathy?_

_Weird, _Stephanie thought, as she climbed back into her bed and shut her eyes. _Maybe I'm stressing. I'll try to get some sleep. Maybe a few more hours rest will help me think more clearly..._

~~~MOD~~~

_She was seventeen years old and Mark was her godfather visiting her parents. Somehow, she spirited him away into a wooded area behind her house, telling him that she had a surprise for him. "Turn your back to me and close your eyes," she instructed him. A moment passed, and then Stephanie ordered him to turn around. Mark turned and saw her standing in front of him naked and grinning mischievously at him. He actually tried to let her down easy, but Stephanie would have none of that. She threw herself at him, and Mark took her there, right in the middle of the forest._

_In another fantasy Stephanie was Dr. Watson's twenty year-old niece who seduced Mark as Sherlock Holmes at 22B Baker St. Dr. Watson was amazed that his aloof pal Holmes finally fell for someone._

_In another fantasy, Stephanie was dancing at a ball; all the women waltzed around in long, flowing gowns. Stephanie's gown was so low-cut that Mark, her partner could look down and see her breasts. It was Victorian times, and Stephanie was a virginal young maiden. Mark took her to a dark stairway outside the ballroom and pulled the top of her dress down. Stephanie objected mildly, as he reached down her dress and felt her breasts. She became so hot and bothered that she couldn't fight it, and Mark lifted up her long skirts. The fear of being seen by the other guests added to the excitement._

_In the last fantasy, Stephanie was driving down a mountain road. Her car went into a skid and she crashed. A handsome man found Stephanie and had immediate compassion for her. She was in a strange town, so the man decided to look out for her. The climax of the story happened during a dark stormy night. She was living in his house. Outside, it was thundering very loudly. Lightning flashed, and Stephanie was frightened. There was a knock at her bedroom door. She clutched her flimsy nightgown to her chest. He walked in and looked at Stephanie, trying to act cool as he asked her if she was okay. She sat on the bed with her legs tucked underneath herself. She reached for something, and her legs spread open, revealing that Stephanie had on no underwear. His eyes never left her. Then their eyes locked, and Stephanie called out, "Mark." He sat on the bed, and their lips met in a passionate kiss..._

~~~MOD~~~

...And Stephanie sat up abruptly in bed, her face flushed and her heart racing. Glancing out the window, she could see that it was already morning, and the sun was peeking over the horizon, staining the clouds pink and gold and orange. She felt oddly swampy and looked down. A look of bewilderment and mild disgust creased her face. Her nightshirt was hiked up to her waist, and her panties were around one of her ankles.

"_Mark's a total gentleman. He won't push you into anything you don't want."_

"_I don't want him."_

"_...the twinkle in your eye and the blush on your cheeks tells me otherwise...And correct me if I'm wrong, but you couldn't keep your eyes off of him last night when we watched Smackdown. Especially when he showed up during the Austin-Rock match. _

"_I think you 're actually attracted to him. You just don't wanna admit it."_

She replayed some of the images from last night in her head and facepalmed. "Oh, God!" she groaned out loud. "Was I..."

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, Princess!" shouted Anna's now familiar twang. " Out of bed. We're going downstairs to have breakfast. Justin and I have been up since five, and he's saving us a table."

It took a moment for Stephanie to compose herself. "Give me five minutes," she answered back as she climbed out of bed, surprised at how..._pleasant?_...her voice sounded. She slipped into the outfit she'd worn the night before, and then went to the bathroom to wash her face, brush her teeth, and comb her hair.

She gazed at her reflection in the mirror. There was a hardness in her eyes and a strength in her jaw that wasn't there a week ago. Stephanie shrugged, surprised at her subtle change in appearance. "I've endured a week of captivity," she told herself. "I can handle a few more days. As long as it takes for me to get out of this."

~~~MOD~~~

"Good morning, Princess."

The familiar gruff voice made Stephanie freeze in her tracks. She had to remember to breathe when she saw Mark sitting on the couch in the living room, wearing faded jeans and a tank top that looked like it was molded to his body. He looked...dare she think it?..._good? Handsome-_

Then, she had to stop herself before her resolve began to slip. _Get a grip! You're being held against your will, and you're getting the hots for him? You're crazy! You're supposed to be thinking about getting away from this guy!_

Stephanie managed a brave little smile. "Good morning. Uhmm...how was your flight?"

"A nightmare. We had turbulence over St Louis. Wound up diverting to Kansas City and then had to catch a connecting flight. Thought we'd never get here." Mark paused. "So, you staying out of trouble?"

Stephanie managed a nod. "Yeah."

"She hasn't had a chance to cause any trouble," Anna smirked, entering the living room, fully dressed and ready to roll. "Been keeping her busy. In fact, I'm taking her to Sea World after breakfast. Hopefully, we can get down to our table to eat before Matt and Jeff eat all the Lucky Charms."

Mark cocked an eyebrow. "Sea World, huh?"

Anna put an arm around Stephanie's shoulder, like she was a BFF rather than a jailer. "Can't have this week in captivity completely unpleasant." She grinned at the reluctant Mistress of Darkness. "And Stephanie's actually pretty good company, aren't you?" Stephanie managed a bashful nod.

Mark climbed off the couch to escort his wife and her captor out the door and downstairs to breakfast. He'd positioned himself so that his wife was sandwiched between him and Anna. "Make sure you all get back before six tonight. Paul wants to have a meeting with the Ministry, and I thought that we could all go out for dinner and make a night out of it. He's already made some reservations over in the Gaslamp." He lifted Stephanie's chin up gently so that he could gaze down at her. "If it all goes like I think it will, then tonight will be a night you'll never EVER forget."

Stephanie let a little smirk play across her lips. "Maybe Mark, it'll be a night YOU'LL never forget."

Mark glanced away so that his new wife could not see the smirk that played across his own lips. He was going to have some fun corrupting the little princess, now that he had some time, and looking at her now, he could see her resolve beginning to crack...

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Not sure if I like how this chapter ended. It started off with a bang and ended with a whimper, I think anyway. The hotel that Stephanie's being held in is Homewood Estates Liberty Station (you can find it online), which is super close to the airport, and has some pretty nice amenities. **

**BTW, there've been times when I've had some racy dreams and woke up like Stephanie did. But those fantasies I wrote are about as racy as I'll ever get in my writing. You'll have to find someone else to write lemons, because I don't do those.**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I don't have one. So...*blows a raspberry***

_**Chapter Seven**_

Stephanie sat patiently in a chair in her bedroom as Anna dabbed some moisturizer and concealer on Stephanie's face. She and Anna were getting dressed for their meeting with the Ministry.

"Your complexion is fantastic," Anna marveled. After blending everything with a makeup sponge, she instructed Stephanie to look up as she dabbled some more concealer under the eyes of the reluctant Mistress of Darkness. "I'm gonna do a smokey cat-eye look on you, and we'll put on some red lipstick to match your top."

Stephanie nodded. Normally, she would use just a dab of lip gloss and a flick of mascara. It felt weird to have her face painted like Anna was planning. It also felt odd to have her hair being worked on like it was; Stephanie's freshly-washed hair was in big rollers so that it could be brushed out into waves once it dried. Though she didn't want to admit it, Stephanie liked being fussed over like this.

"Feels weird. Too much makeup and not enough clothes."

"Come on, Steph. That wardrobe looks better on you than you think," Anna tried to reassure her. "And if you're the Mistress of Darkness, you can't wear sweater sets and penny loafers. You'd stick out like a sore thumb. And we've got all this new makeup for you, so I think it's about time we start using it. Okay. Close your eyes."

Anna fluffed a brush across Stephanie's face. "A little translucent powder to set that. Now, let me get out the blush." She paused. "Oh, just wanted to let you know. Paul's got reservations at the Hard Rock tonight. The Brazilian restaurant didn't have a conference room, and Paul wanted to make sure we had some privacy."

Was Stephanie actually _agreeing_ with her captor about sticking out like a sore thumb in the Ministry? At the beginning of this..._ordeal? Odyssey? Adventure?..._Stephanie could care less about what she looked like, as long as she could get home to her family. Now she was thinking about how'd she look Mark and the others, and looking _forward to this meeting tonight!_

_Why the hell am I thinking like this? _Stephanie questioned herself., as Anna dusted blush across her cheekbones. _I have to make plans to get out! I can't stay married to Mark! I'm being held against my will, dammit! All I have to do is look at that dammed ring on my finger to remember why I'm here!_

_But if I'm being held against my will, why didn't I make a break for it at Sea World? We were there most of the day! Anna and I went to the restroom and I was _waiting _for her after I finished up. I could have bolted right there and at least gotten to someone in authority._

_But then again, today was a blast! Edge and Christian and I shared a giant cup of shaved ice. Jeff kept making me laugh all day! And Matt was such a gentleman with Anna and me. A couple of cute guys tried to flirt with us, and I said I was married! We all sat right up front to watch Shamu perform. We all got T-shirts and souvenirs! Got our pictures taken and everything!_

_I know I've gotta get home, but...I don't want to get anyone in trouble! _

_I'm so confused!_

"Stephanie? Stephanie..._Stephanie!"_

Stephanie blinked, her train of thought interrupted by Anna's familiar twang. "Sorry," she mumbled in apology.

Anna set out a few jars and brushes, a bemused expression on her face. "I'm about to work on your eyes, so I need you to not blink." A pause. "You spaced out for a few minutes. You okay?"

"Uhmm...yeah. I'm okay." Stephanie lowered her eyelids and let her captor get to work, her passive expression concealing the confused jumble of thoughts in her mind.

~~~MOD~~~

"Holy Crap, Bradshaw!" Mark goggled at the sight of a perfectly dressed and coiffed Anna and her captive/companion. "Is that-"

"Yeah, Mark." Bradshaw chuckled before he took a sip of his beer. "That's your wife."

Mark had to do a double-take when Anna and Stephanie entered the conference room of the Hard Rock Cafe. When he'd first targeted her, Stephanie McMahon had been a fresh-scrubbed, innocent, coddled woman-child. A week in captivity had made a tremendous difference. She now looked more like the Mistress of Darkness than Daddy's Princess.

Stephanie wore tight black jeans and a form fitting black top with red cap sleeves covered with delicate black lace. The neckline of her top was low but tasteful, decorated with a tiny red ribbon and cross. Her hair was in loose curls that spilled past her shoulders and framed her face. She had smokey eye shadow and red lipstick on, which made her look far more mature.

He hadn't wanted to take away Stephanie's virtue at first, but after watching her take a seat at the table, he decided that corrupting her would be worth the risk. Besides, they were husband and wife now, so it would all be legal.

But not yet. There was too much business to tend to.

"Stephanie..." Mark stammered, as he got up to pull out a chair for his wife. "You look great."

Stephanie was polite as she sat down, her face arranged in a rather bland expression to hide her nervousness. _Relax, Stephanie! _she told herself. _Take a deep breath, in through the nose and out the mouth. It's going to be fine. _"Thanks. So do you."

~~~MOD~~~

Stephanie perused the menu, trying to keep the conversation to a minimum. Which wasn't too difficult, since she was still making an effort to follow Anna's advice of not speaking unless she was spoken to. Luckily, nobody at the table had a need to speak to her directly just yet.

Anna and Bradshaw sat together, all looking happy and couple-y and in love. Paul was in conversation with Mideon about the upcoming European Championship match. Farooq and Viscera were swapping a few stories.

"Have I told you how lovely you look tonight?" Mark's words made Stephanie glance up abruptly. He was leaning over her, looking rather fetching in the black silk shirt and faded jeans he wore. His hair was pulled back in a sleek tail, and his goatee was neatly trimmed.

_Stephanie! Stop it,_ rang the voice in her head. _He's not supposed to be your husband! He's your tormenter, remember? And you're being held against your will! These people aren't your friends! _

In spite of the voice in her head, Stephanie didn't make _one move_ to escape.

"You're lovely enough that it actually hurts me to look at you," her husband continued.

"If it makes you feel any better, Mark," Stephanie fired back, "It hurts me to look at you, too."

"Thank you." Mark didn't catch the subtle insult. Instead, he gazed lovingly at his new wife...and got caught when his eyes inadvertently traveled to her cleavage. Mark realized his mistake when he saw the expression of disgust on Stephanie's face. "Have I mentioned that the way the lights hit your eyes are like two giant stars...blazing in the night sky?"

"I don't know how you'd know that, Mark," Stephanie spat, before taking another sip of her iced tea. "You're staring at my chest."

Mark facepalmed inwardly and fired a glare loaded with darts at a snickering Bradshaw. "What say we all order."

"Good idea," Stephanie nodded.

"Bottle of wine, perhaps?"

"No!" Stephanie said it in the way that made "no" a two syllable word.

"Very well. Waiter - waiter, can we order please..."

~~~MOD~~~

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Paul announced, his voice carrying over the conversations in the conference room. It was time for the meeting to start.

Mark glanced over towards his wife and was surprised at how much food she was putting away. "Are you sure you've had enough?"

"Mmmmm...I think so." She'd ordered a huge fajita plate for an entree, and had eaten the lion's share of appetizers, so many in fact, that Bearer had been forced to order another round.

"You know, when I said order anything off the menu, I didn't mean EVERYTHING off the menu."

"I know." Stephanie paused. "Viscera and Paul can finish what I don't eat."

"Well, I'm glad you have a good appetite because you're gonna need your energy level later, anyway."

Stephanie snorted in laughter. "Really..." Shaking her head, she went back to eating her food.

Mark watched the princess in amusement. She was either ravenous, or she was eating so that she wouldn't have to interact with anyone in the Ministry. He listened as Paul started the meeting, going through a few mundane business-related items. _The Stamford suits were pretty uptight,_ he thought, his mind drifting back to his meeting after the Smackdown taping. _But they do know what they're all doing. Nobody losing their job over in Corporate, but there's gonna be quite a few changes made. _

_I'll probably keep Vince on, just as a figurehead. Shane's got a few good ideas, I'll keep him on too. Linda, definitely keep her, it'll be good to have someone working on our side, even though she's not entirely keen on me running the company._

He leaned over and tapped Stephanie gently on her shoulder. "You are part-owner, so this meeting _does _concern you. You may wanna at least listen." Stephanie finished the bite of fajita she was eating and tuned in, albeit begrudgingly.

"Okay," Paul announced. "Nicole Bass provided me with her schedule for her appearances on the Howard Stern Show, so we'll be able to schedule her title defenses around those dates. And you'll never guess who I've been in talks with for additional appearances. Ryan Shamrock."

"Ken's sister?" Farooq nearly dropped his fork. "Didn't she sign with Vivid Productions recently? She's working on a new movie. _As Hard As It Gets."_

"Well, since she and Val Venis are so tight, it might make for some nice publicity, albeit controversial."

Stephanie set aside her plate. "If if I may...interject. I know I'm not supposed to speak unless I'm spoken to, but-"

"You're part owner," Mark reassured her. "So right now, it won't matter."

"Very well, then. But didn't you guys sacrifice Ryan a few weeks ago?"

"Not exactly," Anna chimed in. "It wasn't exactly a sacrifice. We all knew that Ryan was trying to make it as an adult film star, and an actual _sacrifice_ would derail her career. We kept her at the hotel the Ministry was staying at."

"She was treated _much_ better than you think," Bradshaw reassured the reluctant co-owner of the WWF.

Stephanie fell silent.

Paul continued. "Next item. Patterson and Brisco. I wanna re-instate both of them. They never should have been fired in the first place. There may not be room for the geriatric and the old in the Corporation, but there is plenty of room for the experienced veterans in this company. They've got a good eye for talent, and they can relate to the guys backstage."

Stephanie tilted her head and gazed at Bearer with a puzzled expression. The fact that Mark's portly right-hand man had made such an altruistic move was very surprising.

Anna chimed in, after a sip of her own glass of iced tea. "So now that Nicole Bass has got this hardware, who should she face as her next opponent.?"

Paul smirked. "Sable, of course. She doesn't deserve it, but she has a rematch clause. Might as well burn it off at Over The Edge, and then we go from there."

"What about Chyna?"

Mark cocked an eyebrow. "What about her?"

"I think she'd make a worthy adversary."

"I think she would make a good opponent. But you don't wanna rush the two of them into anything. Build them up, and let's see how far they go. Maybe a couple of non-title matches so they can feel each other out." A pause. "And I think Luna oughta be put into the title chase as well."

Bradshaw locked eyes with his new boss. "But you guys are gonna push my wife, right?"

"Of course we are. We'll keep Anna on the dark matches until we get to Orlando, then we'll debut her on Heat next week."

"You'd better push me!" Anna's tone of voice was light, but the expression in her steely blue eyes was dead serious. "We have an agreement. Remember?"

"I remember very well, and I'm sure you won't let us forget, either," Mark reassured the up-and-coming diva, to some polite chuckles. "Next subject. Bossman. He's supposed to be a man who upholds the law and does the right thing, and for the past few weeks, he's been running away from competition like a scalded dog, and making the good people in law enforcement look bad."

Stephanie had to bite back a laugh at the unintentional irony. Here she was, kidnapped and married and held against her will, listening to her "husband" complain about how Bossman was making law enforcement look bad!

"So, I think it's time for a little attitude adjustment. We'll put him in a Four-Corner's match. His opponents will be Mankind, Test, and Big Show, with Viscera as the special enforcer at ringside."

"That's a mountain of humanity." Anna shook her head. "Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide."

"Next subject. Ken Shamrock. He's a good guy, but he has some anger management issues. Everyone knows he has a short fuse, but he's kept his temper in check. Until recently. Now it's gotten the best of him, and the some of the talent doesn't trust him, because they're afraid he'll snap in the middle of a match. So, we'll let him compete on Heat, then RAW on Monday, but after that, we'll require that he take anger management courses as a condition for his continued employment."

"You guys are showing favoritism," Stephanie interjected.

"What are you talking about?" Farooq questioned.

"You're planning to make the Brood tag team champs on RAW. Mideon's next in line to become the European Champion. If you're planning on becoming the WWF Champion, then you'll have three champions who are current or former members of the Ministry."

"The Rock was WWF Champ. Shamrock was Intercontinental Champ, before that championship ended up with the Godfather. Your brother Shane was European Champ. X-Pac and Kane were Tag Team Champs, and Kane was part of your dad's Corporation. Vince showed just as much favoritism, and most of it without merit."

Stephanie couldn't argue with those points. "Fair enough."

"Besides," Mark explained. "Godfather and Nicole Bass are champions, and they are not affiliated with either the Ministry or the Corporation. They were good enough to win on their own. Look. Your dad gave a lot of guys on the roster perks that they didn't deserve. He kept people back for selfish reasons, and punished others for being a success. Austin is an example."

"What?!" Stephanie looked at her "husband" like he'd sprouted Devil horns for real. "Steve Austin is the biggest reason we were so successful last year, and have been so successful this year! Dad was doing what he could to make sure he didn't get screwed out of his championship last week at Backlash!"

"Stephanie, he didn't do what he did because of some kindness in his heart, or because it was the right thing to do. You know what he's capable of, don't you? Or is your memory not long enough to remember Montreal?"

Stephanie glared at her husband icily. "Hart was going to throw the WWF Championship away after he arrived in WCW-"

Anna reached across the table to take a hold of Stephanie's hand. Her voice was firm and matter-of-fact. "That's what your daddy _wants_ you to believe, Princess. Bret wanted to leave the WWF with some dignity. He was under the impression that your dad would let him retire the championship the night after Survivor Series '97, and your dad stabbed him in the back. I know that, Mark knows that, Justin knows that, and everyone else at this table knows that. Your daddy is about as crooked as they come, and it's about time you realize it."

Stephanie nodded and fell silent. Something about what Anna had just said made her give pause. _Dad loves me! He made sure that I was watched over and protected while these guys were stalking me! And he's made sure that I've been protected! I felt so safe! The only place I felt safe was with Dad! _

_And even Shane dropped his takeover plans so that he can get me home! He loves me enough to drop his plans and help Dad! They're not capable of what everyone here's implying!_

_I just hope that this soon can all come to an end, and my family will be able to move past all this._

~~~MOD~~~

_I'm not in love  
So don't forget it  
It's just a silly phase I'm going through  
And just because  
I call you up  
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made  
I'm not in love, no no, it's because.._

Mark put a hand on Stephanie's shoulder. It was late evening, and he, Stephanie, and the others had found a nice small bar in the Gaslight that had good live music and a dance floor. Mark had tried to order a few adult beverages in an attempt to lower his wife's inhibitions, but she would have none of that, and he finally gave up on that idea, settling for a quiet slow dance. "Enough with the games, Stephanie. You can't deny your feelings for me. You know as well as I do there's a chemistry between us. I'm your husband, and the co-owner of the WWF, I'm handsome, witty, charming..."

"You weren't very charming when you kidnapped me and burned my teddy bear," Stephanie cut him off sharply. Glancing over, she saw Justin and his wife swaying to the beat of the jazz arrangement of the classic 70's song. Every so often, the two of them would cuddle and kiss. The two of them were acting like lovey-dovey teenagers; any sweeter, and Stephanie would wind up with a toothache.

In a corner of the club, Bearer and Mideon swapped a few stories over a pitcher of beer, as well as going over his upcoming European Championship match. Viscera was trying to hit on a petite blonde woman with a nice figure, but he was failing epically. Farooq had stepped outside to enjoy a smoke (he didn't smoke often, probably a pack a week at the most).

"I know that," Mark's voice was uncharacteristically guilty. "That was more for show than anything. I had to send a message to your family about how serious I was." Mark paused. "I'm everything in a man you want, so don't even try to hide it any more."

_I like to see you  
But then again  
That doesn't mean you mean that much to me  
So if I call you  
Don't make a fuss  
Don't tell your friends about the two of us  
I'm not in love, no no, it's because.._

"Good luck, Mark," Stephanie told her husband, sharply. "You're gonna have a helluva time trying to win me over. Especially after everything you've done and said to me."

_I keep your picture  
Upon the wall  
It hides a nasty stain that's lying there  
So don't you ask me  
To give it back  
I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me  
I'm not in love, no no, it's because.._

"We'll see about that," Mark said, his voice a low purr as he pulled Stephanie closer to him. Not surprisingly, she didn't try to fight him. He knew that deep down, under the protests and refusals, Stephanie McMahon's defenses were coming down. They wouldn't come down overnight, he knew that. But he knew that putting distance between her and her family had been a wise idea.

_Ooh you'll wait a long time for me  
Ooh you'll wait a long time  
Ooh you'll wait a long time for me  
Ooh you'll wait a long time_

_I'm not in love  
So don't forget it  
It's just a silly phase I'm going through  
And just because I call you up  
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made  
I'm not in love  
I'm not in love_

He pulled his young wife ever closer if that was possible, holding her firmly against his muscular frame. "You look fantastic, Stephanie. I'll have you soon enough. It's a just a matter of _when,_" he growled, feeling Stephanie tremble against him. "Keep doing that princess and I'll have you now."

A chill rushed through Stephanie, reminding her of where she was, and why she was here. She felt repulsed, frightened...but perversely attracted at the same time.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could handle this.

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: The song lyrics are **_**I'm Not In Love, **_**from 10cc, released in 1975. For some reason, I couldn't get the slow dance out of my head, so I put Mark and Stephanie in a cozy little jazz bar, with a live singer. Not sure if I like this chapter, or if it even sounds realistic. If it didn't, I'm really sorry. Perhaps it's just filler until Stephanie gets to see her dad...and finally learns if what the Ministry has said about her dad is true or not.**

**REVIEWS = LOVE **


	8. Chapter 8

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: WHEW! Work kicked my ass this week, and getting time to put this chapter together was almost impossible. I hope that Taker doesn't sound too over the top. Apologies in advance if he does.  
**

_**Chapter Eight**_

_RAW Taping, San Diego CA_

_5/3/99_

"You, stay in here until I come back," warned Taker, to his bride. He had the dressing room door open slightly, and nobody could see past him. "You come out when I tell you to."

~~~MOD~~~

At ringside, JR and his regular colleague Jerry Lawler were discussing the shocking turn of events.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are not yet aware, the WWF is now under new ownership. Last week, The Undertaker married Stephanie McMahon in a Black Wedding, and in doing so, became the principal owner of this company. Stephanie has not been seen since last week, when she was thrown into the back of a limo and driven away, with her father screaming in anguish.

"Later, on Smackdown, Vince and Shane pleaded with Undertaker to return Stephanie to her family. Undertaker came out to gloat over his victory and refused to give her back. He did, however, offer to bring Stephanie out on RAW tonight, to show Vince that he was, in his own words, treating her the way a woman should be treated."

"Well JR," chimed in Lawler. "I never thought I'd see the day when Vince McMahon would be put on the defensive, but last week was quite the game changer."

"Well, last week has been unbearable for Vince, but I can't begin to imagine the horrors that poor Stephanie's endured. Stalked, kidnapped, married against her will...what more will that poor defenseless girl have to suffer through?"

~~~MOD~~~

_Meanwhile, back in Stephanie's dressing room..._

Stephanie hung onto a wall-mounted coat rack while Anna braced her feet and pulled her corset strings. Every so often, Anna would stop and measure Stephanie's waist with her hand to ensure that the corset was snug enough to stay up. The last thing she wanted to see was Stephanie suffering a wardrobe malfunction on live TV.

"Anna, don't pull so hard!" Stephanie gasped, breathless. "I won't be able to breathe."

"One more good pull, and I think we're done," Anna assured her, before giving the strings in back one more tug. She ran her hands up and down the sides of Stephanie's outfit to check that it was not going to slip, and at last she said, "There, I think that'll work. Now stand up straight and turn around."

Stephanie moved this way and that, giving the young Mrs. Bradshaw a chance to view the dress from every possible angle. It was a two piece set, a corset and miniskirt with a rather modest Moulin Rouge/burlesque look. The set was made of red satin, with black lace trim to soften the cleavage line and a skirt that was layered with rows of black lace that created the illusion of a fully-shaped petticoat. The corset laced front and back, and a well-placed modesty panel kept it from being too revealing.

A smile spread slowly across Anna's face. "It looks perfect."

"It's too tight," complained Stephanie, frowning at the rest of her ensemble. Her feet were encased in a pair of black suede ankle boots. Her hair framed her face in loose curls. Her makeup was flawless, almost like as if a camera was going to shoot her close up for a magazine cover (Anna didn't trust Stephanie enough to let her sit in Hair and Makeup by herself, so she'd done the makeup before they left the hotel). The red rose cameo choker around her neck made Stephanie feel like she was wearing a collar on the end of a leash.

"It's supposed to fit tight. You don't wanna take a breath and have that drop to the floor, do you?"

"I guess not."

"Okay. Stand still, I need to touch up your makeup. Your nose is shiny." As Anna touched up her captive's makeup, she couldn't help but marvel at how Stephanie just stood there patiently and waited for her to finish. The compliant, quiet young woman in the dressing room was a far cry from the screaming, terrified princess who had been kidnapped and married against her will a week ago.

But that didn't mean that she no longer needed to be watched.

"Oh, by the way, Princess," Anna reminded Stephanie, her voice serious. "We're going right back to the hotel to pack after you see your dad. So don't get any ideas about trying to bolt." She narrowed her steely eyes. "Remember your place."

~~~MOD~~~

_Controversy and creativity were the first words that sprung to mind when the topic of the McMahon-Ministry era was brought up, with the first two examples of it being the Smackdown and Heat episodes following the Black Wedding._

_Sunday Night Heat opened up with a tag match between Droz and Prince Albert and D-Lo Brown and a returning Mark Henry. The match went back and forth the whole way through for about three minutes as Droz and Prince Albert attacked D-Lo Brown and Mark Henry. The referee called a No Contest when the combatants spilled their fight into the crowd._

_Next, Michael Cole presented a special report about the history of the McMahon family and the WWF. He then got into the recent occurrences between Shane and Vince, that Vince never treated his father in this form. They included many recent clips from Backlash and RAW._

_He then went on to address Taker and Stephanie's wedding, and the hostile takeover of the WWF by the Ministry of Darkness. As a result, Cole explained, Shane and Vince were forced back together in spite of their differences. Their goal; return Stephanie to her family and take back their company. The segment ran for several minutes._

_The next match was another tag match, this one between the Acolytes and Test and Ken Shamrock. The Acolytes dominated the match with power moves and double teams. Test was completely dominated until he got the hot tag to Ken Shamrock, who placed Farooq in a quick ankle lock, and he tapped out, sealing a victory for the two former Corporation members. After the match, the entire Ministry came down and attacked the victors._

_Later, Mankind called out Bossman, calling him a coward and a bully for running away from him on Smackdown during their hardcore match. The Boiler Room Dweller then challenged Bossman in a Boiler Broom brawl, a challenge that Bossman accepted. The brawl was a vicious one, as they used all kinds of weapons on each other in the bout. They fought for several minutes until the ref called for the bell when Mankind suffered a gash across his forehead after being tossed through a table and knocked out._

_Next up, Jerry "The King" Lawler interviewed newly-crowned Women's Champion Nicole Bass. Nicole came out to the ring to a nice pop and some great new entrance music. The new champ explained to the fans that Sable had gotten lazy, and that she had been sick of doing Sable's dirty work without any kind of reward. So stepping into the ring against her former employer was a no-brainer. She then said that if anyone didn't know who she was, then they should listen to Howard Stern once in a while, and ended with an open challenge to any of the little girls in the dressing room. If anyone wanted to take her on, then they knew where to find her. _

~~~MOD~~~

_Monday Night RAW started off with a bang._

_The first match of the night was the Tag Team Championship match between the New Age Outlaws and The Brood. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn came out first, with Dogg working the crowd into a happy lather and spouting off that he and Gunn were the "soon to be WWF Tag Team Champions!" The Brood (Edge and Gangrel) entered next, up from their ring of fire on the stage. Gunn and Gangrel started, with a lockup and an arm wringer by Gunn. Into the ropes, duck, leapfrog, then dropkick from Gunn, and then back to the arm wringer on Gangrel. Then, it was a tag to Dogg, who showed a few break dancing moves before Gangrel went for his eyes. A tag was then made to Edge, and the two of them engaged in some unique doubleteaming. While Gangrel distracted ref Earl Hebner, Edge pounded away on Dogg in the corner. Dogg came back with more punches and a knee drop. An Irish whip was reversed, and a leapfrog - Gangrel then waffled Dogg off a blind tag. There were more neat doubleteam moves as Gangrel and Edge performed the classic Hart Attack maneuver on Dogg. Then it was Gangrel with general pounding. Another tag to Edge. Double whip, double hiptoss, and then Edge mocked the Outlaws. A big teeth shot and a rear chinlock was followed by a scoop and a slam by Edge, who followed with an elbowdrop. Suddenly the lights went out for a few seconds, and a tag was made...to Christian, who took Gangrel's place on the ring apron! The two of them performed a double superplex which brought the crowd to its feet._

_Christian threw a hard right and tagged Edge back in. Edge climbed to the top rope, and Christian attempted to launch his partner/half-brother with a Rocket Launcher but Dogg rolled away, and both men were down. Christian shouted at Edge, and Gunn shouted at Dogg, as the two fallen combatants struggled to their respective corners. A double tag was made, and Gunn was a house afire as he tore into Edge's half-brother like a buzzsaw. Christian was Irish whipped into a corner, and Gunn rushed in to attempt a superplex of his own. At that moment, Gangrel handed Edge his goblet, and while the referee was distracted by Gangrel, Edge clunked Gunn in the head. A dazed Gunn was easy pickings for Christian, who nailed him with a tornado DDT and got the three-count! The Brood celebrated their victory, and understandably, high-tailed it to the dressing room, as Gunn and Dogg came to blows. Then, the lights went out again, and the Outlaws were the newest victims of a Brood bloodbath!_

_After the match, Mark congratulated the new champs and gave them the rest of the night off, warning them gently that winning the belts was easy, but defending them would be the hard part. _

~~~MOD~~~

Once Edge, Gangrel and Christian were out of sight and earshot, Mark pulled his cell phone out of his coat pocket and dialed a familiar number. Two rings. "Vince. You know who this is. I hope you and Shane are in the vicinity, because my new wife and I are heading out to the ring. And you don't want to miss the opportunity to see your little girl, right? I mean, you've been waiting all week for this. Be there. And no funny business."

~~~MOD~~~

"Do you think Mark's gonna let us keep our jobs?" Shane ventured, as the limo he and his father were riding in rolled into its parking space at the arena.

Vince stared at his son incredulously. "You're talking like he's already won, Shane," he said. "I've talked to my lawyer. The marriage can be annulled. We can easily argue that Stephanie was married by force. Once we get it annulled, then we can work to take back what's ours."

Over the past week, Vince had been in conversation with his personal attorney, who reassured him that he had a good case for annulling Mark's forced marriage to Stephanie. The lawyer had explained to the elder McMahon that fraud, physical or mental incapacity, force, or duress, were legitimate grounds for annulment in the state of Connecticut.

"I really hate to say this," Vince sighed. "But we need to put Austin on the back burner for now. What's more important is getting your sister back and killing that damnable marriage." It was the most difficult admission he had to make, but it was true. Vince's plans for revenge would have to be put aside. Stephanie's well-being and safety were a much higher priority.

"Okay. We get the marriage annulled and get Stephanie back home safe," Shane nodded. "Then what? Even if we can annul the marriage, Mark's not gonna give up this company so quickly. Especially since you practically handed it to him-"

"Shane, you don't need to remind me of that."

Shane couldn't help himself. "Hate to say I told you so, Dad-"

"Then don't!" Vince snapped, and Shane fell silent. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed, and then the elder McMahon sighed. "I'm sorry, Shane. And you're right. I did practically hand this company over to Mark. But how was I to know that he was planning this?"

"You didn't. And I shouldn't have provoked you like I just did, Dad. I'm sorry." Shane paused. "So, what are we gonna do after we get Stephanie back?"

"We're gonna cross that bridge when we get to it." Vince glanced over in time to see the chauffeur open the limo door. "Guess it's showtime..."

~~~MOD~~~

Backstage, the Ministry of Darkness began to make their way to the ring. Farooq and Bradshaw were first, followed by Mideon and Viscera. Taker appeared, half-leading, half-dragging Stephanie behind him, a death grip on her wrist. He was walking quickly, and Stephanie could barely keep up.

"My God!" JR gasped, as he saw the backstage footage. "He's manhandling Stephanie McMahon. That man is an absolute monster!"

~~~MOD~~~

"On their way to the ring," JR said, as the Ministry's music rumbled through the arena. "And look!" he spat angrily. "They are literally holding her hostage. Farooq, Bradshaw in the front, and Paul Bearer, Mideon and Viscera bringing up the rear. And there he is. Right in the center. The most vile, twisted human being I've ever laid eyes on, and I don't care if that SOB signs my paychecks."

In the center of the mob, with her eyes downcast and her arms wrapped tightly around herself, Stephanie plodded along slowly, two paces behind Taker. The short lacy skirt of her outfit rustled around her legs as she walked. Her makeup was dark; kohl smudged on her lids, and blood-red lipstick on her lips. She looked stunning, but she carried herself as though the life had been sucked right out of her.

"Wow, JR." Jerry sighed as the Ministry stepped into the ring. "Looks like they've all done a number on that poor girl. JR, we don't agree on much, but I think we can both agree when I say she looks miserable."

"That we can both agree on, King. Poor Stephanie, she looks like rather be anywhere else but here. Last week, on Smackdown, Taker made the tasteless, disgusting comment that Stephanie had saved herself for marriage, and that he was her first. Just makes my skin crawl. King, that fiend may have broken her spirit."

Taker picked up a mike. "McMahon," he began, pulling his massive arm across his wife's chest to restrain her. "Or, Dad...I made a promise to myself, and to all my followers, that I would own the World Wrestling Federation. And I'm a man who keeps his promises. You really thought you could stop me with your Corporation. But you were wrong. Bossman, Shamrock, Big Show, Test, even my brother Kane...one by one, they all fell down. Did you really think that Steve Austin was your biggest problem? Well, you should have paid more attention to my Ministry. You underestimated us. And look what it's cost you.

"But that's beside the point. The point is, Dad, that I'm a man who keeps my promises. And I made a promise to you last week that I'd bring your precious little girl out here with me so you can see that I'm taking real good care of her. So, Dad, why don't you come out here. Just you and me, maybe even my new brother-in-law, and my lovely wife. We can all have a nice conversation like civilized adults."

Vince McMahon's music filled the arena, and the now former owner of the WWF and his son walked with purpose towards the ring.

"A determined looking Vince and Shane heading down the aisle to confront The Undertaker," said JR. "This will be the first time that Stephanie's been seen by her family since Backlash.

"And Vince has demanded that Taker return Stephanie, but why would he now?" asked Lawler. "He's holding all the cards."

"King, he should return Stephanie to her family, but that would be the decent thing to do," growled JR, as Vince stepped into the ring and grabbed a microphone. "And I doubt seriously that SOB has a decent bone in his body."

As Vince stepped into the ring, his heart sank. It was the first time he and Shane had seen Stephanie since Backlash. Stephanie was staring down at her boots, her expression utterly miserable. Her eyes were smudged with dark eye shadow, and her red-painted lips pouted in grief. She held her head down and had wrapped her bare arms around herself like she was cold. What have they done to her? Vince thought in shock. Mark's words, _You'll be happy to know that your little girl saved herself for marriage...and that I was her first rang_ in Vince's ears and made his skin crawl, and they made him want to take apart the self-proclaimed Lord of Darkness for breaking his daughter's spirit.

"Undertaker," Vince began. "You promised last week that you'd bring my daughter out to me. Now, if you keep your promises like you say you do, then let me see her."

Taker shoved Stephanie forward. She stumbled slightly, but regained her balance, and then glanced up at her father.

"If you can't feel any compassion for this innocent girl," JR remarked, "Then you have no soul."

"Stephanie," Vince began, his voice thick with emotion. "Your mom, your brother, and I...well, we all want you to know that we love you. I know these past few weeks have been extremely difficult for you, and that this is the last place you want to be. I know how helpless you feel right now. But I promise to you that we're gonna do everything we can to get this marriage annulled and bring you back home."

Cautiously, Stephanie took the microphone from her dad's hand. Her voice was small and meek. "Dad, is that what you'll do for me? You're gonna annul the marriage and bring me home? Bring me home to Mom, to Shane, and to you?"

"We'll do everything we can, Sweetheart."

Stephanie handed the microphone back to her father. She didn't resist as her husband pulled her close to him once more. A shudder ran through the reluctant bride as she felt Taker nuzzle his nose against the top of her head. She tried not to flinch as he splayed a big hand across her stomach.

JR and Lawler voiced their disgust for the benefit of the TV audience.

"That poor girl is beyond miserable, JR." That was one thing that Lawler and JR could both agree on.

The Lord of Darkness locked eyes with his former boss, knowing that he was in complete control.

"I don't think so, Dad," he said finally, the tone in his voice reminding Vince who really was in charge. "You can't bring Stephanie home, when she's already home. Her home is with me, and my Ministry."

Vince shook his head in disbelief as he stared at his kidnapped daughter. He'd half expected Stephanie to rush to him and beg him to take her home and get her away from the man she'd married against her will. But she didn't make one move towards him, other than the little stumble across the ring, and that was only because Mark had shoved her. All she did was turn her weary head, like a tired flower, and stare down at her husband's boots. Taker had control of her now, and she need bother with nothing.

"What have you done to my daughter?!" Vince gasped, as Shane looked on in wide-eyed shock.

"I didn't do anything to my new bride," Taker said. "Well, anything she didn't want."

Vince could only shake his head in speechless disgust.

"Seriously, Dad? Do you really think I'm going to let my bride go that easily? After all the effort and time I put into claiming Stephanie, and making her part of my Ministry? After all the effort I put into sacrificing Ken Shamrock's sister in her place? After all the pictures I had taken of your precious little girl, not to mention the teddy bear that I stole and burned, just so I could show you how easily I could get into your house? After all the time and trouble I went through to gain ownership of this company, you think I'm just gonna let it go just because you want to bring your little girl home? I have too much at stake to just let it go."

"Dad, I promised you that Stephanie would be taken from her family, and she would break your heart when she accepted the Lord of Darkness as her personal savior. Like I said earlier, I'm not the kind who breaks promises. And If you don't mind me saying so, she's enjoyed everything that's happened to her the past week."

Vince lunged at the Lord of Darkness. "You son of a-" he snarled, before Shane grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him back. A chorus of boo's erupted from the audience. JR would have leaped into the ring to give Taker a piece of his mind, had it not been for the fact that Taker now signed his paychecks.

Still keeping his grip on Stephanie, Taker drew closer, practically oozing confidence. He was watching Vince unravel, and loving every second of it. "Now, Dad. Take it easy, before you wind up having a stroke. For the past several months, you played pretty fast and loose with this company. Signing one guy for ten million dollars, when you could have grown your talent base and signed ten for a million a piece. But that was back when you owned this company."

"He's referring to Big Show, Vince's ten-million dollar acquisition," JR pointed out. "Vince had signed Show a little over two months ago."

"Well, this isn't your company anymore," Taker continued, keeping a tight grip on his young bride. "It's _my_ company. Its my future, it's my wife's future, and it's the future for the next crop of talent. When you filed the paperwork to transfer ownership of the WWF to me, you played into my hands. Because long ago, I came to the conclusion that I could run this place just as well, if not better, than you. I'm sure you're asking yourself...how the hell is my new son-in-law going to run this company? Well, judging from what has already taken place...I've been doing a bang-up job of it."

"In your dreams," JR grumbled. "Knowing the Undertaker, this new regime will be heavily biased towards the Ministry of Darkness."

"And it wasn't biased before, with Vince's Corporation running the show?" asked Lawler. Judging by the lack of response from his colleague, he knew he'd just brought up a very good point. He wasn't about to say anything ele at the moment, but...he found the direction that the Ministry was taking the WWF very intriguing.

"I warned you, Dad. One by one, your Corporation would fall, until there was only one left, and then she'd become mine," Taker reminded him. "I promised you that in the end, I would own the World Wrestling Federation! And I didn't break that promise, either."

"And you know, Dad," Taker continued. "I know that you would do anything in your power - you would give your very soul to stop me, but the reality is there's not a damn thing that you can do about it."

Taker handed Stephanie off to Bradshaw, who wrapped one of Stephanie's wrists in a rock-iron grip to prevent her from leaving. He then turned to Bearer and exchanged a few words with his portly right-hand man. He then turned his attention back to Vince and Shane.

"You know, I'm standing here, the newest member of the McMahon family - one of the most successful families in the history of American business - a family that I am very proud to be a part of. I have to hand it to you. When it comes to business, you are quite a success story. And speaking of success stories, I just completed my most successful business venture to date when I took over your company, married your daughter, and made her one with my Ministry. And I'll be dammed if I just give that up."

Vince was seething, and Shane was attempting to pacify his angry father. "Dad. Let it go for right now. We can deal with Mark later. Now's not the time."

For almost a full minute, Vince, Shane, and the Ministry stared at each other. The tension in the ring was so thick, it could be sliced. Finally, Taker said, "Is there anything else you want to say to me?"

Vince shook his head, not trusting himself to say anything that could jeopardize what little he had left.

"Very well, then. I think it's time, in the immortal words of the commissioner, Shawn Michaels...start the stepping and hit the bricks. I have business to attend to!"

With those words, the Ministry's music started up, and Taker led his minions out of the ring. Bradshaw was the last out of the ring, with Stephanie in tow. She turned to look at the faces of her father and brother, and her heart broke at the sight of them standing defeated and alone.

"I'm sorry, Dad," she mouthed. Escape had been so close...but she'd done nothing, and she mentally kicked herself for it.

Bradshaw tugged at her arm. "Move it!" he hissed. "We have a schedule to keep. We need to be packed and ready to go after the show tonight!"

Reluctantly, Stephanie nodded. She had no choice but to follow Anna's husband out of the ring and down the aisle, casting one more haunted glance at her father and brother before slipping backstage.

It would be the last time she would look at them with any sympathy for a long, long time...

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: DUN-DUN-DUUUUN!**

** Looks like Vince and Shane may be found out sooner than later. Stephanie's outfit for this confrontation was inspired by a set of clothing and accessories I saw on Polyvore dot com. Go to that site and search for Gothic Club Outfit or Vampire Date Night Outfit, and you should see the set.**

**BTW, I can't wait to see how Stephanie learns about her dad's treachery, can you? **

**REVIEWS = LOVE  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: It's been a long-ass week at work, and I'm suffering some brain drain. I'll try and get this all banged out for you lovely folks:)**

_**Chapter Nine**_

After the Ministry and Vince left the ring, JR reviewed the card for the remainder of the RAW broadcast. Mideon vs X-Pac for the European Championship. Mean Street Posse vs Acolytes. Shamrock vs Triple H, with Chyna banned from ringside. Nicole Bass vs Chyna in a non-title match. Bossman vs Mankind, Test, and Big Show in a Four Corners match, with Viscera as special enforcer. And the main event would be the Number One Contender's match between The Rock and The Undertaker.

And as JR predicted, the Ministry was dominant. The Ministry's eyes and ears defeated X-Pac in, as JR would call it, a slobberknocker of a match, which ended when Midian nailed the degenerate with his now-signature finishing move, the Eye Opener DDT, for the win and the European Championship. The Acolytes made short work of the Mean Street Posse. Nicole Bass made short work of Chyna, which paved the way for her title defense against Sable at Over the Edge. Shamrock put up a valiant effort, but Triple H defeated him in the end (later, Ken would meet with Paul Bearer about the anger management classes that were required as a condition of continued employment). Mankind won the Four Corners match, and Bossman was defeated handily.

~~~MOD~~~

Steve Austin, with his Smoking Skull belt slung over his shoulder, walked into Catering to grab himself something cold to drink (Only soft drinks were available at the moment, so a Pepsi would have to do). He plunked down at a spare table and opened up the can of pop, shaking his head in disbelief at the events that had taken place over the past week.

After all the hell Vince had put him through the past fifteen months, he'd had the audacity—the grapefruits!—to ask for his help. Okay, it was Vince's daughter that had been in trouble—and she hadn't done anything to him—but that wasn't the point. Vince had made his bed, and it was time for him to lie in it. Vince had the resources, so he could save his daughter.

While sipping away at his Pepsi, he was suddenly aware of a shadow falling across the table. He glanced up in time to see his rival—now his boss—gazing down at him. Fearlessly, Autin locked eyes with the Lord of Darkness. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No." Taker said, simply. "Just wanted to make sure that things were alright with my WWF Champion. Perhaps you should be thanking those two druids who pounced on you last week. They saved you from a potential screwjob."

"Screwjob?" Austin took a big swig out of his can of pop. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know how much you and Vince hate each other. And I know that he was counting on you to save his little girl last week. But deep down, I think you know it was all a smokescreen. He was just waiting for the time and the place to do the deed."

"Whatever," Austin snorted. He tipped his head back and finished off his soda pop before standing up to face his boss/rival. "Vince has the resources, if he wants to set things right, he can do it himself."

"Austin, I know that Vince ain't your boss anymore. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna give you silk pillows or fruit baskets or puppy treats. You probably wouldn't want that stuff anyhow."

Austin rolled his eyes. "Like I ever asked for that stuff before."

"Look, I'm going to be as blunt as I can with you. I'm not gonna try and screw you out of something that you've obviously worked so hard for. But, I'm gonna make one thing perfectly clear. I should be WWF Champion. And I can kick your ass any day of the week."

A smirk crossed the Rattlesnake's face. "Really. Name the time and place, and it's on."

"Alright. After I beat Rock tonight, I'll be your number one contender. The next Pay-Per-View is Over The Edge. So make sure you bring your A-game. I'll come out there to beat you and take that championship of yours. I plan to show you how hard I'm willing to defeat you for that belt. So I wanna see how hard you're willing to fight to keep it." Taker paused before he turned around to head out for his match with the Rock. "Good luck."

Austin shrugged as he watched the retreating form of the Lord of Darkness/Owner of the WWF. "Same to you, boss. You'll need it," he said to himself, before he tossed his empty soda can in the trash.

~~~MOD~~~

Finally, it was time for Taker versus Rock, for the Number One Contendership. Stephanie had been safely and swiftly bundled off following the confrontation with Vince in the ring, so he didn't need to worry about her welfare at the moment.

Before the match began, Taker picked up the mic and made an announcement: "In three weeks time, at Over The Edge, I will be skinning a Rattlesnake, and I will walk away as the World Wrestling Federation champion. But, before I do that, I have a Brahma Bull that I need to take down."

Punchfest to start - whip into the turnbuckle, Undertaker put up a boot - then ran into a clothesline. Rock stomped away, then threw punches as he managed to stagger back up. A right to the back of the head. Off the ropes, duck, head down, DDT from Undertaker. Head to the turnbuckle. A right from Taker. Another right. An elbow to the face. There was a chant of "Rocky! Rocky!" Sort of, anyway. Then, a headbutt from Taker.

The match continued, and JR and King continued their commentary, unaware of the commotion backstage...

~~~MOD~~~

A limo screeched to a halt in the parking lot of the arena, and the passengers bailed out before the chauffer could get out to open the doors. Vince and Shane charged back into the building, both of them determined not to let their now-nemesis have the last word.

By marrying Stephanie, Taker had gotten more personal with Vince and Shane McMahon than he'd ever been. It was time to get personal right back.

~~~MOD~~~

Meanwhile, back in the ring, punches were traded, then Rock started fighting back – and then it was Undertaker with a right. Off the ropes, head down. Swinging neckbreaker from the Rock. Scoop and a slam - time for the People's Elbow - Undertaker tried a zombie situp but Rock kicked him down, then hit the elbow. Taker kicked out at two, then got up and struck back. Off the ropes, duck, choke - but Rock waffled him to prevent the chokeslam. Undertaker was back up pretty quickly, though. A clothesline was ducked, Rock hit a clothesline of his own, and Undertaker spilled over the top rope but landed on his feet. Angrily, Taker pulled Rock out of the ring. More punches were traded, then it was Rock with the rights.

Taker turned in time to see Vince and Shane charge down the aisle. Shane got in the first few shots, but Taker dispatched of him quickly. Vince grabbed a steel chair and snuck up behind Taker. Bearer grabbed the chair before Vince could take a shot at his "In-law from Hell," as JR so succinctly put it.

Furious, Taker advanced on Vince, unaware that Shane had picked the chair up and was now behind him. Angry that the McMahons had interferred in the match, Rock speared Shane, who plowed into Mark, who shoved Vince and knocked him down. The match degenerated into a slugfest between Rock, Taker and the McMahons, ending only when Earl Hebner called for the bell. It was a no-contest.

~~~MOD~~~

If the purpose had been to piss off the Lord of Darkness, the McMahon men had done a helluva job. Taker glared at Shane and Vince, as they fled down the aisle like a pair of scalded dogs. Halfway up the aisle, they both paused and turned to flip their "In-law from Hell" the finger.

As the two of them mocked him, Taker had a sudden epiphany. Vince and Shane weren't ready to let go of what was left of their empire yet. They still thought they owned the place, and Taker realized that as long as they were still around, his chances for regaining championship glory were slim at best. Vince would constantly get in the way and cost him wins at every turn. It was time to put these two arrogant bastards in their place.

Angrily, Taker grabbed the microphone from the ring announcer.

"Hey! Get back here!" he bellowed. _"HEY! You're lucky I haven't beaten you both to a pulp before throwing you both out of here on your collective asses!" _

That got their attention. Shane and Vince locked eyes with their now-adversary.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Taker snarled. "I was only moments away from becoming the number one contender for Steve Austin's title at Over The Edge, and you had to come out and crash my party! I thought I could play the part of son-in-law! I was kind enough to let you see your little girl. And I even let you go your own way. I thought we might have been able to coexist. But you had to go and stick your nose where it didn't belong! So I'm through being nice.

"You come out here tonight to play the spoiler? If that's the way you want it...fine! Because I'm gonna put aside my championship goals for the moment and focus on something more immediate. You see, you still think you own the World Wrestling Federation. So I think you need an object lesson. You need to understand...that I'M IN CHARGE! I own YOU...I own this company...and most importantly, I own...YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"You don't own jack!" snarled JR, for the benefit of the TV audience, as the live audience booed and hissed.

"I'm through calling you Dad. So McMahon...I want a match at Over The Edge. You vs me. If you win, you get the WWF back, and you get your daughter back. If I win...I get my title shot...and I keep this company. You wanna try and play the part of the savior here? That's fine. Because at Over The Edge, I will play multiple roles. Judge, jury, executioner, husband...and owner."

"Whoa!" Lawler gasped as the crowd erupted. "I guess the WWF Title may be on the back burner for now."

"And the McMahon men have made damn sure of it tonight!" JR nodded. Deep down, he was rooting for Shane and Vince to take back what the Lord of Darkness had stolen. "Taker wants a match with Vince! Ownership of this company, and Stephanie McMahon's freedom on the line! But the question is, will Vince McMahon accept the challenge?"

~~~MOD~~~

_Later, at the hotel..._

"I promise I'll only be five minutes," Stephanie pouted, embarassed at how whiny her voice sounded. _I sound like some bratty little kid,_ she thought in disgust. "I just want some ice for my Diet Pepsi, and we don't have any in the freezer."

After seeing her dad and brother looking so defeated, Stephanie made a decision. She was going to escape, or at least try. It didn't matter how well she'd been treated, and it didn't matter that she was a married (albeit against her will) woman. She wouldn't stay here a minute longer. Five minutes. That's all she needed to charge down the stairs and get help. _Just five minutes, and I can finally be reunited with my family. Or at least part of it._

Anna stood against the doorjamb with her arms crossed tightly against her chest, weight shifted to her left leg, her lanky frame twisted in a pose that anyone over the age of twenty-five would have to dislocate joints to duplicate. "I'm sorry, Princess, but I can't take any chances of you trying to bolt, especially with your dad in town-"

"Have I tried anything since I've been here?" Stephanie fired back, silencing the Ozark Mountain Daredevil. "Anna, I know you've been instructed to keep me in line. And I've done my best to make sure I behave myself. I just want to get some ice." She paused. "We almost finished packing. All we have to do is put our suitcases and things on the luggage rack. And the ice machine's at the end of the hall. I shouldn't be gone that long. Just to the end of the hall to fill my glass and back. Come on. Five minutes."

Anna chewed her bottom lip in thought and then stepped away from the door. "Five minutes. Starting...now."

With a word of thanks, Stephanie darted down the hall, a plastic cup in her hand to continue her ruse. When she was confident that Anna or the others were occupied, she threw open a door and darted down a flight of stairs. It was a good thing she'd changed into some street clothes (faded jeans and a relatively tame black t-shirt with a silkscreen pattern of a red rose and thorny green vines). The outfit she'd worn to the ring would not be practical.

_Five minutes, five minutes, five minutes..._it became a mantra. All Stephanie needed was five minutes. Five minutes. That was all that was needed.

Stephanie reached the ground floor and paused briefly to catch her breath. As she did, she heard the now familiar voice of her husband. He was in the lobby, leaning up against a door haphazardly, apparently in some kind of heated discussion. Deciding that it would be a suicide mission to dart across the lobby (she knew that she could be easily spotted where she was), Stephanie lowered herself into a chair, her body easily hidden by a huge hydrangea plant overflowing with pale pink blooms. She heard another voice...one so familiar, that she turned her head in its direction. So sharply, that a leaf poked her in the eye. Stephanie rubbed her eyes and gasped in shock at what she saw.

It was her father and brother.

Five minutes.

Five minutes would be all that was needed to completely shatter Stephanie Marie McMahon's world.

~~~MOD~~~

"How the hell did you find me?"

"We waited until you left the arena and tailed you," Vince answered, matter-of-fact. "So, you want a match with me, Mark?!"

"Didn't you hear me the first time? It's simple. You versus me. If I win, I get my title shot. If you win, the marriage will be annulled, your little princess comes home safe and sound, and you get back ownership of the WWF."

"We'd already planned to screw Austin and award you the championship at Over The Edge!" Vince exclaimed. "It would have been so simple, and then you pull this stunt, marrying my daughter?!"

"Vince, do you really think that little of my abilities? I can't get it done myself, so you have to cheat another man out of something he's worked so hard for? You screwed Hart out of his last shred of dignity a year and a half ago. Wasn't that enough?"

"_Don't you dare bring his name up!"_

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you _knew_ he wasn't gonna throw the championship belt in the trash. You led him to believe that he could leave the WWF with his head held high, and instead you stabbed him in the back because you couldn't trust Michaels to get the job done, and you had to show your remaining roster that you were _the business_. Now you want to do the same to Austin? Guess you never really trusted your talent to get the job done after all.

"When you came up with the Ministry idea, I jumped at the chance at first. I could get back on top here, with a championship as the ultimate prize. But after a while, I gave this all some thought, and I realized that I didn't want a championship handed to me. I wanted to earn it like everyone else."

Vince raked his fingers through his hair. "It's not that I didn't trust your abilities, Mark. I just…Austin represents everything wrong with this company! I just wanted to take that title off of him, and I wanted to get it off him as quickly as possible!"

"But was it really necessary to drag Stephanie into it?"

"Dad had to throw suspicion off of himself," Shane explained, coming to his father's defense. "People were getting sick of Dad trying to get one over on Austin all the time. We had to orchestrate a misdirection! Mark, you agreed to this Ministry business in exchange for a title shot and a championship. If Dad and I knew what you were REALLY up to, we never would have come to you with the idea."

"Leave it to you guys to assume that I didn't have an ulterior motive."

"How could you do this to us? It was all planned out. Austin rescues Stephanie, I swoop in with the rest of Dad's Corporation and form the Corporate Ministry, and then we screw Austin out of his title and award it to you! Marrying my sister for real was NOT part of the script!"

"Well, now it is. And because of your assumptions, I own both your asses—"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Vince snarled. "You think you've taken my own creation and used it against me. The Undertaker. Owner of the World Wrestling Federation. You don't have a single clue as to how to run a multi-million dollar business! Let's get one thing straight. If it wasn't for me, you would still be in some Podunk promotion struggling to get noticed by some no-talent agent.

"So you think you got what you wanted? Well, that's just great. Congratulations. But let me make one thing clear. You may own the World Wrestling Federation. _For now. _What that means is, as soon as I'm able, I am getting on the phone with my lawyers, and I will fight you in court if I have to, so I can get this company back, and annul this damnable marriage. I'm more than ready to argue mental duress as the reason to take back ownership."

"You have no more pull in this company, Vince," Mark fired back, his voice confident. "May I remind you that you signed the WWF to me legally. Attempt to take it back in a courtroom, and I'll reveal your dirty little secrets, namely how you threatened your own daughter to make yourself look good."

Vince turned white as a sheet. "You…wouldn't dare…"

Mark crossed his arms and fixed his "father in law" with a stony gaze. "Just try me, Vince."

For a single crackling second, it looked like Vince was about to throw a punch. Not that it would harm Taker, but the gesture would be pretty stunning by itself.

Finally, Shane grabbed his father gently by the sleeve. "Dad, let's go. It's not worth the fight right now..."

~~~MOD~~~

Stephanie had to uproot herself from the chair she'd been sitting in, almost as if she'd been planted there like the hydrangea in its big ceramic pot. She staggered away from Mark and Shane and Vince, stunned to her bones. She felt like a fine set of china on a table that just had the tablecloth whipped right out from underneath her without shattering.

She didn't know where she was going, or who she would run into, and she didn't care. Her mind was spinning with the scope of her father's unintentional revelation. _My dad! Shane! The Ministry! They were behind all of this? They used me! They threatened me to make themselves look good! God, I can't go home! Not after what I just heard! But I don't wanna stay with the Ministry! _

_What am I gonna do? How could they do this to-_

"OOF!" Stephanie had turned a corner and slammed into someone big and strong. A pair of big muscular arms seized her by the shoulders, and held her firmly. A screech escaped her lips as she glanced up at who she'd run into.

"JUSTIN! LET GO OF ME!" she shouted, struggling in the rock-iron grasp.

~~~MOD~~~

Bradshaw's first instinct was to grab the girl and demand to know why the hell she was in the hallway without an escort. But, after her saw her white face and reddened blue eyes, he reconsidered and did something that he considered out of character.

He gently lifted Stephanie's chin up. "Stephanie?" he asked, his voice soft. "Something the matter? Are you okay?"

Stephanie shook her head, barely able to speak. "Dad..Shane...Austin...it was a setup! They used me!"

Bradshaw decided to let the lapse in security slide. Judging by her devastated appearance, he knew that Stephanie wouldn't go anywhere. "Come on. Let's go back to your suite, okay?"

Numbly, the reluctant Mistress of Darkness nodded and let Bradshaw escort her quietly back upstairs and to the suite.

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Looks like the tide is about to turn. Vince and Shane had better watch themselves now. **

**BTW, I have a question for you lovely readers. Should Stephanie go back to her dad or stay with the Ministry? I know how I want the story to end, but I need a little help getting there. PM me or leave your suggestions when you review. **

**REMEMBER...REVIEWS = LOVE**


	10. Chapter 10

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: It looks like it's almost unanimous. Thanks for all your input. Looks like Stephanie's relationship with the Ministry is about to change...**

_**Chapter Ten**_

Anna Bradshaw was not a happy camper at the moment. While she was inwardly applauding Princess Stephanie for her cleverness and ingenuity, she was also furious at her for pulling such a fast one. After hearing Stephanie's footsteps as they rushed down the stairs, she'd gotten on her cellphone to her husband. "Princess is making a run for it," she warned him, as she angrily paced the floor. "Alert the Ministry. Bring her back NOW!"

Bradshaw was on it right away; his wife's temper was not to be trifled with.

By the time Bradshaw brought Stephanie back to the suite, Anna was about to let her captive have it with both barrels. "WHAT IN THE HELL WERE YOU TRYING TO..." she bellowed, before her voice trailed off in bewilderment. Bradshaw had his arm across Stephanie's shoulders protectively. Stephanie's face was white, and her eyes were glazed. The poor girl looked like she'd just watched someone skin her parents alive.

Anna's voice softened. "Justin? Steph? What happened?"

"She heard Mark going at it with Shane and Vince," was all Bradshaw said.

"Whoa! Does she-"

"Yeah." Bradshaw paused. "She knows her dad was involved."

Anna snarled a few expletives under her breath. She handed Bradshaw the plastic cup. "She dropped this in the hall. Can you get her some ice?"

Justin left with a nod, leaving Anna to usher Stephanie into the living room and seat her gently in a chair. As she did, Anna realized that the relationship had just changed drastically. No longer was Anna the jailer and Stephanie the captive. Anna was now a caretaker, and Stephanie was her emotionally devastated companion. "Steph," she said softly. "We're gonna take good care of you, okay?"

Stephanie finally managed to speak. "My dad!" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "How could he do this to me?"

Anna brought a blue and silver can from the kitchen. It wasn't ice cold, but it would do until Justin brought back the ice. "Here, drink your Diet Pepsi. I guess the answer to your question's obvious. Your dad's a ruthless, self-centered bastard who doesn't care who he steps on, because in his mind, the ends justify the means."

"How could...I'm his daughter!" Stephanie spluttered, after a shaky swallow. "How could he be so cruel to me?"

"I wish I had the answer to that, Stephanie. I really do," Anna was interrupted by a knock on the door. She went to open it, half-expecting her husband back with the ice.

"Is everything okay in there?" It was Taker at the door.

Anna narrowed her eyes. "Mark, you need to stay away from Stephanie. You're the last person she needs to see right now." She paused. "She knows about you and Vince and Shane. How the hell did they find us?!"

"They followed me after Paul and I got out of the arena."

"Oh my god! They'd better not be in the hotel still!"

"I made sure they left. I threatened them with bodily harm if they tried anything stupid-" The conversation was interrupted as Anna was shoved aside by Stephanie. The reluctant Mistress of Darkness had recovered from the shock, and now looked furious. "Stephanie?"

"Mark!" Stephanie demanded as she backed her husband out into the hallway. "Tell me it's not true! Tell me my dad and brother didn't put you up to this!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"_Dammit, Mark! Don't play ignorant and stop pretending you're the Undertaker for five minutes!" _Stephanie shouted. "I heard you and my dad and Shane arguing out in the lobby! Is it true!"

Mark stared down at the floor, unable to meet his young wife's gaze.

The gesture spoke volumes. _"It is true!"_ screeched Stephanie. _"How could you let him!"_ Stephanie punched Mark in the stomach, the only place she could really reach. Mark doubled over slightly, a stunned expression on his face _"YOU BASTARD!"_

Mark staggered back out into the hall, nursing the bruise that he knew would appear. That Stephanie had punched him to begin with was stunning in and of itself. But he was even more impressed by how hard she struck him. Before he could say anything, Stephanie stomped past him. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Anna shook her head and dashed out of the suite. This had the potential to become ugly in a hurry. "Stephanie! Wait up!"

Mark stopped her. "I'll get her," he said, the tone in his voice leaving little room for argument.

"Don't do anything stupid, Mark!" Anna shouted. "Our careers are on the line!"

Anna watched Mark rush down the hall and down the stairs in pursuit of his wife. She trembled as she backed into the suite. She sunk into the chair she'd ushered Stephanie into and took a sip out of the forgotten can of pop. "Oh, God!" she moaned. "We're all screwed..."

~~~MOD~~~

Stephanie staggered down the stairs, through the lobby, and out into the courtyard in back of the hotel. She let out a wail as she threw herself face down onto a couch that faced an outdoor fireplace. She screamed and wailed and kicked and pounded on the couch with her fists. Her anger and hurt were so intense, she couldn't put words to it.

She didn't know how long she was there, but when she finally sat up, her ribs and her throat were sore from crying so hard. The anger was gradually giving way to hurt and despair. With a long, shaky sigh, she threw her head in her hands. _What am I gonna do? Where am I gonna go? I can't go home now; I can't even look at Dad and Shane without wanting to murder them! How am I gonna deal?_

"You've got a pretty solid right hook. Anna must have taught you."

Stephanie glanced up in surprise. Mark was leaning against an archway, looking nothing like the Lord of Darkness he portrayed himself as on TV. To his credit, he'd stood a respectful distance away while Stephanie had her meltdown.

"She's a taskmaster, I admit," was all Stephanie could say at the moment. "She taught me when we were working out."

"You want some company? I'm not the Lord of Darkness right now. And I promise I won't try anything stupid."

Stephanie shrugged and moved over. Mark took it as a good sign and sat down. When he spoke, his voice was sincere and soft. "I'm sorry you had to hear everything like that."

"I was bound to find out sooner or later. My...my dad was behind this?"

"And your brother. I'm sorry that they made you go thru it all."

"Why does my dad hate Austin so much? It wasn't enough for him to put together the Ministry, but to drag _me_ into it?"

"He was trying to throw suspicion off of himself, and make it look like Shane and I were trying to overthrow him. While he played Papa Wolf around you, he appeared to be preoccupied with your safety, allowing Shane to move in, further distancing himself. It was all a bunch of misdirection to throw Austin off and make him vulnerable."

Stephanie shook her head in disbelief. "Austin is the biggest reason why we beat WCW last year! He's good business. Why would Dad want to ruin that?"

"You know how your dad is with grudges. Hell, Montreal was a perfect example. Bret's embarrassing himself in WCW right now and undeservedly so."

Stephanie nodded. Now that she realized what her father was capable of, she was starting to see things in a much different light. Bret Hart, Mankind, Rock...their careers had all been screwed by Vince in one way or another. Had it not been for the Black Wedding, Stone Cold would have been next on the list. "Bret didn't deserve to be screwed out of the championship like that. Austin doesn't deserve it either."

Mark sighed. "Well, now that the cat's finally out of the bag, what do you want to do? I mean, you're no longer a captive, but do you really want to go home now?"

Stephanie shook her head. "I can't. I can't even look at my dad and brother now, not without wanting to murder them. I feel so betrayed. By my own family!" A sigh escaped her lips as she raked her fingers through her hair. "Level with me, Mark. Did my mom-"

"Your mom had no idea that Vince and Shane were behind the Ministry. Until I told her. She threatened me with physical harm if I mistreated you in any way."

Stephanie nodded mutely.

"So, Stephanie. What do you wanna do now?"

Stephanie looked out over the courtyard. "I find it ironic that I have spent so much time wanting to escape you guys and go back home, and now that I've got the opportunity, home's the last place I wanna go now. My father's pretty much killed that option. And if you're worried that I'm gonna get the authorities involved, don't worry. I won't. I'll tell them that I went willingly and that you guys treated me well. As far as what I'm gonna do now...if it's okay, I want to stay with you guys."

"Well, you are my wife," Mark said, lightly. "I couldn't just abandon you."

"I'll stay with you as a marriage of convenience," Stephanie clarified. "At least until Over The Edge. Then I'll decide whether or not I want to stay married to you any longer."

Mark would've rather had Stephanie stay married to him for the rest of her life. But, he knew where she was coming from. Kidnapping, forced marriage, her father and brother's betrayal...he really couldn't blame her for wanting to cut the cord prematurely. Still, he made a mental note to convince Stephanie—much later—that the power she now had was worth staying in a marriage of convenience for. "Fair enough," he nodded.

Before anything else could be said, Mark's cellphone rang. He answered without hesitation. "Yeah. It's cool, Anna. Stephanie's okay. She's staying with the Ministry for the time being. By choice. If anyone hassles her, she's gonna say she went with us willingly. Yeah. We'll be up in a few minutes. Oh, before I forget. You know that little gift bag that I brought with me? Can you get that out of my suite and bring it into yours? Ask Paul, he'll know where it is. Yeah. We'll be up in a few minutes. Thanks."

Mark ended the call. "You ready to go upstairs?"

Stephanie sighed and launched into a full body stretch before climbing off the couch. "About as ready as I'll ever be..."

~~~MOD~~~

The first thing Stephanie saw when she came back to the suite was an ice cold can of Diet Pepsi with a note reading, _Sorry! I drank your pop out of nerves. Here's one to make up for it. Sorry about all the BS your dad put you thru. Anna. PS: the shuttle bus will be here to pick us up in half an hour. Everything's packed. I'm waiting downstairs with the rest of the Ministry._

Mark hung back respectfully as Stephanie took the can of soda pop. "She didn't need to get me this," she laughed, as she opened the can and took a long cold sip out of it. Her eyes caught something else on the table. "What's this?" she wondered, picking up the small striped gift bag. Setting her cold beverage down, Stephanie let curiosity get the best of her and nudged aside the tissue paper so that she could remove the bag's contents.

_A teddy bear? What's a teddy bear doing here—_her questions disappeared and her face lit up in surprise as she realized what it was she was holding.

"...Teddy?" Stephanie ran her fingers across the soft, fuzzy brown toy. "It's Teddy!" She turned to her husband, puzzled. "I thought you burned him! How did you..."

"I hid him from your dad. The bear that I burned during the Inferno match wasn't yours," Mark explained, from his place near the door. "It was a prop. I had an associate go out and buy one from a thrift store. Stephanie, I wouldn't in a hundred years destroy something of yours that meant so much that you'd have it locked up."

Stephanie felt the tears leak from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. "You...you saved Teddy. You saved Teddy!" she gasped, her voice cracking. Holding her cherished toy in one hand, she managed to choke out a few more words of thanks before throwing her arms around Mark and sobbing in gratitude.

When her crying jag was finished, Stephanie lifted her head. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. "I know this is a cliché, but...you don't know what this means to me, Mark."

"I think I do." Mark pulled Stephanie closer to him. He gazed down at his devastated young wife, who looked less like the Mistress of Darkness and more like an innocent lost princess who just had the world she'd known and loved ripped right out from under her feet. Now was not the time for flirtation or innuendo, or attempted intimacy. Right now, it was time for Mark to support and look after his wife while she recovered from the shock of her father's betrayal. "Y'know, I think we should get moving if we want to catch that shuttle bus…"

~~~MOD~~~

The red eye to Orlando had been uneventful. Stephanie slept most of the flight, using Mark's shoulder as a pillow, and clutching her teddy bear like it was the Holy Grail, refusing Anna's offer to hold onto it for her for safekeeping. Every so often, she'd wake up and weep softly. Neither Mark nor Anna nor anyone else in the Ministry had attempted to quiet her; she'd been traumatized enough, and she didn't need someone warning her to pipe down.

~~~MOD~~~

_Tuesday, at a hotel in Orlando…_

"Your dad wanted to get the World Championship off of Steve Austin, and he put this Ministry of Darkness together for that purpose," Anna explained to Stephanie, over a late lunch of fruit and cheese and fresh veggies with dip. It was two in the afternoon, and the girls had decided to head down to the hotel lounge to grab a bite while everyone else was resting. "What he didn't know was that Mark wanted control of the company because he thinks he's better able to run it."

Stephanie buttered a croissant and took a bite out of it. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she'd been a captive, with Anna keeping her on a short leash. Now, the two girls were sitting and talking like a couple of girlfriends. It was surreal. "Meaning that Mark has positioned himself at the top because he wants the championship."

Anna shrugged. "Well, that's part of it. But he also noticed that your dad played favorites. He overlooked talent and pushed yes men. Triple H is a perfect example."

"Hunter Hearst Helmsley?"

"Yeah."

"The big-nosed dude with the old money."

"That's the one. Rumor has it that your dad wanted to arrange a marriage between you and him."

Stephanie knitted her brows in bewilderment. "But…he's Chyna's boyfriend."

"Doesn't matter." A pause. "Well, it won't matter now, because you're already taken."

Stephanie chuckled. "I guess being the Mistress of Darkness has its advantages." She paused. "Hey, ummm…thanks for taking me off the leash."

Anna flashed her companion a genuine smile. "It was the right thing to do. Especially after the night you had." The two girls settled into a companionable silence while they finished their lunch.

When Stephanie spoke again, she had a little twinkle in her eye. "Anna, I've been playing the victim in this Ministry business long enough. If Dad and Shane think they can use me to get back at someone, they're sadly mistaken."

Anna smirked. "I could have told you that."

"I'm a McMahon. Part of the most powerful and influential family in sports entertainment, right?" Anna nodded in agreement. Stephanie pressed on. "Why else would Mark target me, and why else would Dad use me? Well, for the past several weeks, I've acted like I'm anyone else but. If I'm a McMahon, then it's time for me to start acting like one."

"I'm not sure where your point is yet, but keep going."

"Well, if Dad thinks that he can jerk his family around so he can satisfy his need for power and revenge, he's sadly mistaken, and I want to show everyone just how much of a McMahon I really am. And I want you to help me."

Anna tilted her head, intrigued. "This isn't going to hurt my push, is it?"

"No, it won't. Anyway, Austin was expected to save me last Monday night, right?"

"Yeah. The plan was for Shane to swoop in with the Corporation and create the Corporate Ministry."

"Corporate Ministry? What a ridiculous name!"

"You're not the only one who thinks it's a ridiculous name. Anyway, your dad would pretend to be grateful to Austin for bringing you home safe and sound and lull him into a false sense of security. Meanwhile, your brother would be on the attack, and Vince and Austin would team up and watch each other's backs."

"But Dad and Shane would be working together to screw Austin out of his title."

Anna took a sip out of her glass of iced tea. "Where's this leading to, if you don't mind me asking?"

Stephanie smirked. "Well...let's just say that Dad and Shane aren't the only ones who can orchestrate a screwjob..."

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: The plot thickens...Not sure if this chapter sounded realistic. If it didn't, I'm really sorry. I'm trying:( **

**BTW, if you want to know how Steph is going to screw her dad and brother over...well, just go back to November and December of 1999 and check out Triple H's feud with the McMahon family. It'll give you an idea.**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	11. Chapter 11

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Not a whole lot to say, but I thought I'd get this out for you guys this weekend. BTW, I'm in a bit of a low point right now. Had a huge fight with my mom last week, and I can definitely use some encouragement or a hug. If you can give me a cyber hug, that would be awesome.**

**WARNING: This chapter is probably gonna be the weakest one so far. Had a rough patch with Writer's Block, which always sucks.**

**Does anyone have a suggestion for theme music for Anna? I was thinking of **_**Ain't My Bitch**_** by Metallica, but I'm not too sure. Keep in mind that the story is set in 1999, so no song suggestions after that time period.**

**Setting of this chapter starts in some undisclosed gym in Orlando. Stephanie's getting some ring training, and she's about to kick off her revenge plot...**

_**Chapter Eleven**_

"OW!"

"C'mon. Mark's not gonna want some shrinking violet as his wife. He wants you to be able to handle your business not just out of the ring, but in the ring, too."

Stephanie winced as she got up on her knees on the canvas. "Why would I need to handle business in the ring?"

"It's just in case your dad or brother get a wild hare up their backside and decide to challenge you to match."

"He's not gonna do that!"

"Says the young woman who's father sold her out to one-up his rival!" Anna fired back, bouncing herself off the ropes. Stephanie made a face. Her companion had a good point.

Since she was being trained by three wrestlers (Mark, Bradshaw, and Anna), Stephanie was taking quite a few bumps and spills, and the phrase, _It's not the fall that kills you but the landing!_ had never been more true than it was at that moment.

Mark had started Stephanie off with some basic maneuvers, bouncing off the ropes, and whatnot. Anna taught her how to take falls and bumps, making it a point to show how important it was to be able to absorb punishment with the _entire body,_ not just part of it. Bradshaw showed the Mistress of Darkness how to throw punches; Anna showed her how to take them.

Mark was already a legend, so it was almost an honor being trained by him, albeit informally. Bradshaw was a pretty decent wrestler by himself, although he seemed to work much better when he tag teamed with Farooq. He was definitely more gifted as a brawler, a trait he was passing down to his young wife, and by extension, to Stephanie. The young McMahon was a very quick study, already fighting the natural inclination to put her hands out to catch herself when she fell.

"I'm gonna be covered in bruises when the day's over!" grumbled Stephanie as she struggled to get up. Anna offed the Mistress of Darkness a hand, and a grateful Stephanie accepted it and let the Ozark Mountain Daredevil pull her to her feet.

"Hey, I was covered in bruises when I first started out," Anna laughed in response. "You're not gonna be the only one!" She offered Stephanie a bottle of water, which she gratefully accepted. "And it's probably nothing that a hot shower and some pain pills can't fix. I have Advil back at the suite if you need it."

"I may take you up on that offer," Stephanie sighed, as she wearily followed Anna into the showers. "You think we can make it back in time for dinner?"

"I'm sure our hubbies were nice enough to save us a table..."

~~~MOD~~~

"...We could make a road trip out of it. I mean, the Ministry's gonna be in Jacksonville for Heat, and that's my debut night against Terri Runnels."

"_Terri Runnels?!"_ Stephanie snorted in laughter as she fluffed out her blow-dried hair. The girls had just finished their shower and were now getting dressed in their street clothes. "She couldn't wrestle her way out of a paper bag!"

"And she'll make me look even better," Anna smirked, as she twisted her hair up into a messy knot. "It's my Heat debut, I have to look strong."

Stephanie pulled a tube of eggplant purple lipstick out of her knapsack. "I never thought I'd say this," she admitted, as she dragged the lip color across her lips. "But I think I'd feel safer traveling with the entire group. A road trip sounds fun, but I think I'd rather wait until this business with Dad and Mark is finished."

"Whatever mows your lawn, I suppose." Anna couldn't help but grin in amusement at what her companion was wearing. Stephanie had pulled on a pair of black jeans and a white skull-and-crossbones T-shirt. The eggplant purple lipstick coated her lips evenly, and a thick line of matching liner would soon rim her eyes. _She wouldn't have been caught dead looking like that two weeks ago!_ Anna chuckled to herself.

The trip back to the hotel was made in companionable silence. At dinner, over a meal of lasagna and salad, Mark and Paul discussed the upcoming matches for RAW, Heat, and Over the Edge. Stephanie had an idea about how to force her dad into accepting Mark's challenge. It would take some work, of course, but what idea didn't?

Anna was the one who got the ball rolling with a short but sweet phone call: "Hey, Matty. Can you or your boyfriend get off of whatever flat surface you're getting busy on and pick up the phone? I need to talk to you."

Then, about two minutes later, Anna's cell phone rang: "Hello? Hey, you. Are we interrupting anything? Well, that's good. We didn't want to interrupt your sexy time. Hey, do any of you guys have a camcorder.."

~~~MOD~~~

_Sunday Night Heat_

_5/9/99_

"On a night where the McMahon family wait to see what the Ministry of Darkness' next move will be, welcome to Sunday Night Heat! We are live in Jacksonville, at the sold-out Jack! At the beginning of the broadcast, you saw Paul Bearer leading the Ministry of Darkness into the arena," said Michael Cole, as the broadcast kicked off. "You gotta wonder what's on his mind, what's on Taker's mind, and what evil intentions they have planned tonight."

"Before we start," continued Cole's broadcast partner, Kevin Kelly. "We just received a previously taped message from Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of the former WWF owner Vince McMahon, and the unwilling wife of the Undertaker. Apparently, she has managed to escape the Ministry of Darkness, and for her safety, she is in an undisclosed location. However, she has a message for her family, as well as for her husband."

"That's right, Kevin," Cole nodded. "We don't know how, and we don't know when, but Stephanie managed to slip away from the Ministry. As you know, she was kidnapped at Backlash two weeks ago and married against her will. That forced marriage resulted in the hostile takeover of the WWF by the Ministry of Darkness. To complicate things, Vince McMahon, the former owner of the WWF, has made it clear by his actions last week during the Number One Contender's match between Taker and The Rock, that's he's not going down without a fight.

"And because of them, the Undertaker's been forced to change his strategy. As long as Vince is around, then the Lord of Darkness will never reach his goal of become WWF Champion. So he has challenged Vince to a match at Over The Edge, one-on-one, with the WWF itself, as well as Stephanie's freedom, at stake. We're going to take you now, to the pre-recorded message:

~~~MOD~~~

The Titantron revealed a scene in a comfortably-furnished room (a living room, or study, something like that). Stephanie sat on a couch, with her hands folded in her lap. She looked pale and tired. She wore faded jeans and a short-sleeved black blouse with a low neckline and ruffle and pleat details. The color made her look more washed out. Thick black eyeliner and blue-black lipstick provided a stark contrast to the pale foundation she'd smoothed over her face.

In actuality, the video was shot two days previous, in Anna and Stephanie's suite, using Matt Hardy's video camera. Stephanie had insisted on being made up so that she looked exhausted and frightened from being on the run. She wanted to project a sense of urgency and helplessness in her video, to motivate Vince into accepting Mark's challenge.

"I know I'm taking a huge risk doing this," Stephanie began, her voice sounding tired, but resolved. "But I know that my family is worried sick about me. First of all, I wanna assure my family, my dad in particular, that I'm safe. I can't tell you where I am at the moment, or if or when I'll be able to come home.

"As all of you know, I was taken against my will two weeks ago at Backlash. But what you didn't know was what happened to me right afterwards. I was terrorized, stripped of my clothes, and dressed in a black gown for an unholy wedding. And I have never felt so powerless and violated in all my life." Stephanie shuddered, like she was cold, and wrapped her arms around herself. "My husband, he kept, he kept TOUCHING me. And whispering in my ears that I was his, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"My...husband tells me that I...that I should be grateful. Grateful because I'm now married to the most powerful man in the WWF, and that I should be honored to be at his side. I'm married to the Lord of Darkness and...now I'm his Mistress of Darkness. But in reality, I feel anything but grateful or honored. I feel-dirty. I feel cheap...and I feel more violated than I've ever felt in my life.

"But that's all about to change. Dad...please, please...I know how much you love me. And as my husband would say...I know that you would do anything in your power - you would give your very soul to stop me. Please, you have to stop him. If not for the future of the WWF, then at least try to stop him for me.

"And Undertaker, I may be married to you, but I will never...EVER...be your wife willingly. I will NEVER love you. I could never love a sick, twisted, freak like you. And I will never forgive you for wrecking my life. You used me as a tool, Taker. You wanted to hurt my dad, and guess what? It worked. He's crushed. So I have one piece of advice for you, Honey - what goes around...comes around. So you'd better be prepared."

~~~MOD~~~

"Strong words from the reluctant Mistress of Darkness," said Cole. "It's obvious that Undertaker's strategy worked. Stephanie was taken from her father's home and has broken her father's heart, albeit through no fault of her own."

"Whether or not she's accepted the Lord of Darkness as her personal savior remains to be seen," chimed in Kevin Kelly. "But one thing is certain. Vince McMahon has been brought to his knees. Not just financially, but personally, and spiritually. Will he accept the Undertaker's challenge? Hopefully, those questions will be answered soon."

"Until then, we have a packed card," Cole continued. "We'll kick it off with Badass Billy Gunn taking on Val Venis. Then the Ministry will make an appearance as European Champion Midian takes on the 500-pound Big Show."

"Plus, we will the debut of a young woman who calls herself the Ozark Mountain Daredevil. She's from the state of Missouri, her name is Anna, and she's here for one-on-one action."

"And of course, the Undertaker will be here, no doubt to address his wife's escape from the Ministry, as well as the challenge he laid down to Vince McMahon. Will Vince accept it? We'll find out, as Sunday Night Heat kicks off..."

~~~MOD~~~

_Sunday Night Heat went well._

_Val Venis was attacked by Gunn during his mic work. For some reason, the lights went out briefly. When they came back on, a newly-returned Ryan Shamrock (she'd been re-signed by Paul Bearer two days previous), rushed down the aisle. Ryan distracted Billy, and Val hit the Money Shot on Gunn for the win. The lights went out and Kane came down the aisle. Gunn thew Val Venis into Kane, and Kane chokeslammed him. Gunn ran, and Ryan went to check on her boyfriend. Val woke up and was escorted backstage by Ryan and the referee._

_Anna's debut was, in the words of Kevin Kelly, tremendous. The Ozark Mountain Daredevil took on Terri Runnels from PMS in a complete squash match. The young superstar from the state of Missouri didn't so much defeat the PMS member as she dismantled her, nailing Terri with a Tornado DDT for the win. Backstage, away from the cameras, Anna showed some concern for Ms. Runnels, but Terri assured the young diva that she was okay, just a little sore._

_It was a good back and forth match between Midian and Big Show, but the European Champ took out Big Show with his Eye-Opener DDT for the win, retaining his title in the process. Midian had an eye in a jar with him, which he brought into the ring and taunted Big Show with._

~~~MOD~~~

Finally, it was time for the Ministry to address Stephanie's "disappearance," as well as the challenge that Taker had laid down for Vince McMahon.

"He is the Phenom, and the owner of the WWF. The Undertaker, leading the Ministry of Darkness to the ring. Kevin the excitement is building here in Jacksonville," Michael announced, as Taker and his minions fell into position. Taker and Paul Bearer walked down the aisle, followed by Farooq and Bradshaw. Mideon, with his European Championship belt on his shoulder, and Viscera brought up the rear.

"You don't hear the fat man talk too much these days unless I have something very important to say, so I suggest you all listen!" Bearer announced, loudly.

"Due to unfinished business, the Lord of Darkness will have to put his plans for Steve Austin on the back burner. That unfinished business is the former owner of the World Wrestling Federation, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Because of that unfinished business...The Rock will be taking on Austin and Triple H in a Triple Threat match for the title at Over The Edge."

"How about that, folks!" Kevin Kelly was genuinely surprised. "Rock's gonna get his rematch!"

"And the Rattlesnake's going to have his hands full at Over The Edge!" Cole chimed in, watching Bearer handing the mic off to the Phenom.

Taker waited until some of the noise died down before he spoke. "First, I wanna address this to my beautiful bride. My Mistress of Darkness, Stephanie. It doesn't matter where you run. It doesn't matter who you run with. And it doesn't matter where you hide. Because I will find you. No matter what you do, Stephanie...you're still my wife. And at Over The Edge, you'll still be my wife, and I will still be owner of the WWF.

"Second, this is addressed to my father-in-law. Vince—thanks to your meddling, there's been a change of plans. My goal was simple—to become the World Wrestling Federation Champion. But you've forced me to put that goal on the back burner for now. Last week, you and my brother-in-law decided to stick your nose in my business. And I realized that as long as you two are around, I'll never reach my goals.

"Next, the matter of Steve Austin...don't think just because I'm not pursuing you at the moment that you're safe. I still have big plans for you. So you'd better make sure you stay on top of your game. Because at Over The Edge, there's gonna be two men who want your championship. So I hope you're willing to fight twice as hard to keep that title...because I wanna fight you for it.

"Getting back to my father-in-law...you're so hell-bent on taking me on in a courtroom. You wanna take back the WWF and take your precious little girl home? There's no shame in fighting and getting your ass kicked, Vince. But there's no honor in not fighting at all. I don't wanna fight you in a courtroom, in front of a bunch of stuffy suits. I wanna take this battle to a place where it's more comfortable for us both...I wanna fight you in the ring.

"It's a three pronged attack. First, I'm gonna ensure that my lovely bride has the best seat in the house at Over The Edge. Second, I'll beat you like you've never been beaten before. Third, after I've beaten you—in front of your little girl, I'm gonna take your beaten carcass, throw it over my shoulder, walk out of the arena with you, and take you to Monday Night RAW, where you will be the ultimate sacrifice. You will be sacrificed to a power even greater than I. And you will know my name is the Lord of Darkness, and there ain't a damn thing you, or ANY of you, can do about it..."

"How much more personal will it get?" Kevin asked as the music started up and the Ministry made a graceful exit . "The World Wrestling Federation. Stephanie McMahon's freedom. Everyone is on the line, and all Vince McMahon has to do is say yes."

"The suspense is unbearable!" Michael Cole added. "Vince vs Taker. One on one at Over The Edge! Will it happen?"

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: WHEW! I guess you can tell that I'm not that hot when it comes to writing matches, so I only do the Cliff Notes version. This chapter was very difficult to write. Time crunches, Writer's Block, dealing with trouble at home...ARRRGGGHHH! I need a hug:(**

**Some of Stephanie's dialog was inspired by her promo on the !2/2/99 episode of Smackdown.  
**

**BTW, Over The Edge was the PPV where the late, great Owen Hart fell to his death. That will be touched on in the next few chapters. Personally, I think the PPV should have been cancelled after Owen's fall, and I will write the chapters to reflect that. IMHO, Vince let dollar signs get in the way of doing the right thing that night, and it cemented him as real-life heel in my eyes.**

**Vince will get what's coming to him in this story, but it won't be at Over The Edge. **

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


	12. Chapter 12

**URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT: **

Because of the major flooding that's going on in my state, I'm going to need to take a break from writing for a few weeks. I need to take care of cleanup of my property and the property of my loved ones.

Don't worry! I WILL UPDATE when things settle down. Right now, my family and friends and our livelihoods are a little more important.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, and I'll be seeing you all very soon:)

Debwood-1999


	13. Chapter 13

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: While doing some research on Wikipedia, I came across an obscure PPV called No Mercy UK, which took place in Manchester, England, on 5/16/99. I'd completely forgotten about that PPV, and it's too late for me to include it in this story without it sounding like I'd tacked it on at the last minute. So, in this universe, I won't include it. **

**However...I may be incorporating some of the matches from that PPV in this story. Keep in mind what happened at Over the Edge in real life. That tragedy will be incorporated here. **

_**Chapter Twelve**_

During a quiet moment in her office, Linda McMahon eagerly tore open the manila envelope that had been plastered with Express Mail labels and PHOTOS—DO NOT BEND warning stickers. There was no return address, but a postmark from Orlando graced the top right corner.

Linda's heart began to race as she pulled out the contents of the envelope. Orlando was where this week's RAW would be taped. No doubt this mailing was from Mark or Stephanie. In spite of her cool and calm demeanor, she'd been anxious to learn if her daughter was being treated as well as Mark had claimed.

Enclosed was a note which read:

_Mom;_

_Just wanted to let you know that I'm safe, and I'm now aware of what Dad was planning to do to Steve Austin. Mark and I will make sure that he pays dearly for what he's done to me and you at Over The Edge. _

_I'm traveling with Bradshaw's wife. She's made sure I'm comfortable and taken care of. I will be on the next episode of RAW. Burn or shred this message when you receive it. _

_Love, Stephanie_

_PS: Keep the picture. It's for you:)_

Included with the note was a candid snapshot of Stephanie with Bradshaw's wife. The two of them were sitting at what looked like an old-style ice-cream parlor. Bradshaw's wife—Linda couldn't recall her name off the bat, Andrea, Amanda, something like that—wore a blue and fuchsia plaid blouse, and her face was scrunched by brain freeze as she enjoyed an ice cream cone. Stephanie, wearing a red blouse, was sitting next to her, trying to hold back a laugh as she looked on.

Linda felt her eyes prickle with tears of relief as she placed the photograph in her desk drawer (she would later find a small frame for it, after the drama blew over). It looked as if Mark was keeping his promise. If everything went as planned at Over The Edge, then her husband and son would pay for their treachery, Stephanie would return home after her sham of a marriage was annulled, and everything would return to a semblance of normalcy.

She had no idea that the definition of normalcy was about to change...

~~~MOD~~~

_Meanwhile, back in Orlando..._

Mark leaned haphazardly against the doorway of Stephanie's suite, looking normal in his jeans and T-shirt. "Would you be interested in going out to lunch with me?" he asked, after Stephanie answered the door. "Not downstairs, like we've been doing as a group, but just you and me going someplace. We could discuss the situation with you and your dad, and figure out how we can make him accept my challenge. Besides, it would be kinda nice to get to know you without everyone else around."

Stephanie tilted her head suspiciously. She and the Ministry were back at the hotel in Orlando for some rest before the RAW taping. Anna had gone to spend some quality time with her husband, leaving Stephanie by herself to flip through the TV channels.

"Hey, don't worry. I don't have an ulterior motive," Mark assured his young wife. Trying to make his move on Stephanie so soon after her father's betrayal was bad taste, simple as that. "I just want to spend some time with you without the Ministry buzzing around in the background. I know Paul can be especially...overbearing."

"He's just doing his job," Stephanie shrugged. "You're not going to-"

"That threat you mother gave me? It still stands."

A tense moment passed, and then Stephanie smirked. "Let me get my shoes on and leave a note."

~~~MOD~~~

"I can make Dad think I'm trying to annul the marriage myself," Stephanie suggested, while waiting for their lunch. She and Mark were at Johnny's Fillin' Station, a popular eatery in town, and home of arguably the best burger in Orlando. The place was packed, but the hostess on duty had found the couple a quiet table in their dining room. "Maybe I'll go to your dressing room and plead with you to sign the papers. Then you come out to the ring, to make it seem like you're going to sign them, but then you change your mind."

"So how are you going to bait your dad?" Mark questioned, just as their waitress brought out their burgers.

Stephanie grinned at the plastic basket full of burger and fries. "Well...that's when you could get creative," she said before tucking into her lunch.

Mark watched his young wife eat in amusement. Stephanie had been a rich little princess from Greenwich, quiet and respectful and innocent, who dressed like her mother laid her clothes out each morning and had manners on par with Amy Vanderbilt. Now here she was, snarfing down a cheeseburger (politely of course), and wearing an outfit that was more along the lines of Hot Topic than Macy's. And for some reason, that suited her much better.

"That must be a good burger," Mark chuckled. "Either that, or you don't want to talk."

Stephanie set her burger down and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Actually, it's the first one. This burger is fantastic. Who picked this place out?"

"Midian, if you can believe it."

"After everything I've been through the past several weeks, nothing really surprises me."

"You know what surprises me?"

"What?"

"You and me sitting here, carrying on an adult conversation. I wouldn't have dared ask you to lunch a couple weeks ago, because I knew you'd try to escape me."

Stephanie took a sip of her glass of iced tea. "To be honest with you, Mark, this has actually been the most free I've ever felt in a long time. But, I don't think you can begin to understand how hard it was for me to get to this point."

"Hard in what sense? Finding out who you really are, or actually having people in your life now that demand something from you?"

Stephanie had to think for a moment before answering. "Hmmm...both, really."

Over the course of the past several days, she was discovering more and more about herself. For as long as she could remember, Stephanie was the little princess, treated like she had to be wrapped in cotton wool and put in a box like a fragile china doll. Even after graduation, she'd been placed in a little box made of ticky-tacky, with a career and life already planned out for her.

Even her married life had been planned out. Every guy Stephanie had dated had been nice to her only because of her dad. They were deathly afraid that Stephanie would tattle on them to Daddy if they so much as looked at her wrong. Her father's wealth, power and privilege were far-reaching and intimidating. So Vince had a husband already picked out for his little princess. A husband with a big nose and tons of old money, if the rumors were true.

Gradually, Stephanie was realizing who she really was. She was friendly, outgoing, and not afraid to speak her mind when she wanted to. She'd just repressed it for so long, that she'd forgotten about that part of herself. Being treated like a fragile, china doll princess went totally against her true nature. She wasn't a doll, or a princess, dammit! She was a woman, and deep down, she wanted to be treated like one.

And in Mark, Stephanie finally found someone who treated her like a woman, though she wouldn't admit it out loud. In spite of their rocky start, Mark was surprisingly kind and gentle with Stephanie, but he wasn't afraid to tell her what he thought when she needed to hear it. He wasn't afraid to push her during their training sessions. He was enough of a gentleman to keep his distance, putting his carnal desires on the back burner so that he could earn Stephanie's trust and allow her broken heart to heal.

He knew the life Stephanie led and was being groomed for prior to the Ministry storyline was not the life she really wanted. It was the life her family wanted her to lead. And over the course of the past few days, Mark made the decision to make sure Stephanie lived the life she wanted, married or single, Vince or no Vince.

Stephanie continued to speak, between bites of her lunch. "…It's amazing how your life can change in three months. I mean, in three months you can go from being able to go to the store by yourself to…being under house arrest. You come to appreciate the little things; leaving your door unlocked, undressing in your bedroom, going out with friends. My life wasn't mine anymore, not that it really was to begin with. Then come to find out your own family put you through all of it...I'm surprised I'm taking all of this as well as I am."

"You're full of surprises," Mark admitted. "Just when I thought you'd fall apart, you'd surprise me by showing your inner strength. Especially after learning the truth about the Ministry. You have every reason to want to leave and throw us all under the bus, and yet you've chosen to stay. Anna trusts you enough to take off with her husband for the day and not worry about you slipping away. You're smiling. You're laughing. You're even offering suggestions about running the company. The Stephanie that's sitting here eating lunch is not the same Stephanie from two weeks ago. You've been away from your family long enough to let your guard down and let who you really are rise to the surface."

"Really?"

"Really. Two weeks ago, you wouldn't be sitting here eating a burger and carrying on a polite conversation with me," Mark pointed out, before diving into his own lunch. After a few bites, he continued. "You'd have either stuffed your face so you wouldn't have to talk to me, or you would have been looking for the nearest exit. That top you're wearing, and the necklace. I assume you picked those out?" Stephanie nodded, before she reached for a handful of French fries to devour. Mark continued. "You wouldn't have been caught dead wearing that before Backlash."

"Probably not." Stephanie wiped her hands on her napkin and then pushed a lock of her straight hair behind her ears, revealing silver flower earrings with red stones for the petals. "My earrings match, too."

"I don't think I've seen anyone change so much so quickly."

"Yeah, well, when everything you've believed in all your life is taken away from you…You tend to change." Stephanie caught Mark as he raised an eyebrow and back-pedaled slightly. "Sorry, that wasn't directed at you...well, maybe it was."

"It's alright. I'd be surprised if you didn't change."

"Maybe I should clarify that. When everything you've believed in has been taken away from you, you tend to change, and depending on how you look at it...it's either a change for the worse, or a change for the better."

"Which one do you think it is. Worse, or better?"

Stephanie hesitated only briefly, and then she picked up her cheeseburger. "Better."

~~~MOD~~~

_RAW Broadcast, Orlando_

_5/10/99_

Anna steered the rental car into the arena parking lot. "Bearer wanted to fast-track some merchandise, and I was asked to advertise the new shirt," she explained to her passenger. She and Stephanie were headed to the arena early so that they could sneak in without being spotted by Vince or any of his associates.

"You could use that as a sleepshirt if you wanted to," Stephanie nodded, before she pulled a powder compact out of her purse to check the shine on her nose.

Anna wore pencil-slim faded jeans and a T-shirt that was about to be rolled out for the fans. It was bright pink, oversized, with BIG HURT in block letters on the front and BRING THE PAIN on the back. Her honey blonde curls were tied back with a scrunchie that matched the T-shirt. "It's meant to be oversized, because Nicole Bass is such a big scary Amazon."

The two girls climbed out of the car and headed into the arena via a service door.

"I don't look too slutty, do I?" Stephanie questioned. She had the same top on she'd worn during the dinner/meeting with the Ministry in San Diego, as well as the jeans and boots.

"You don't look slutty at all," Anna shook her head. "Did you hear them all calling you names last night?"

"My family's reputation precedes me, I guess," Stephanie chuckled, as she followed Anna down the hall.

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Imagine this is the video that kicks off RAW. Picture scenes from the Black Wedding, Stephanie's videotaped announcement, as well as scenes from RAW, Smackdown, and Heat. **

_"This is the personification of evil."_

_"By the power vested in me by the Lord of Darkness, I now pronounce you as the Unholy Union of Darkness. You may now kiss your bride!"_

_"Don't fight me, Woman! Your home's with me now."_

_"You won't get away with this! My dad-"_

_"Is of no consequence. You belong to me now." _

_"Taker, stop! Dammit, stop! Gimme back my daughter! She's not your wife! Bring her back! Give her back! Stephanie! Nooooo!"_

_"Vince McMahon, the owner of the WWF, watching his empire fall around him, and Stephanie, his baby girl, is now at the mercy of a sick, demonic human being. God help us all."_

_"First of all, I wanna assure my family, my dad in particular, that I'm safe. As all of you know, I was taken against my will two weeks ago at Backlash, terrorized, and dressed in a black gown for an unholy wedding. I have never felt so powerless and violated in all my life. My husband, he kept whispering in my ears that I was his, and there was nothing I could do about it. _

_"My...husband tells me that I...that I should be grateful because I'm now married to the most powerful man in the WWF, I'm married to the Lord of Darkness and...now I'm his Mistress of Darkness. But in reality, I feel anything but grateful or honored. I feel-dirty. I feel cheap...and I feel more violated than I've ever felt in my life._

_"Dad please,you have to stop him. If not for the future of the WWF, then at least try to stop him for me. And Undertaker, I may be married to you, but I will never be your wife willingly. I will NEVER love you. I will never forgive you for wrecking my life. So I have one piece of advice for you, Honey - what goes around...comes around. So you'd better be prepared."_

_"I was only moments away from becoming the number one contender for Steve Austin's title, and you had to come out and crash my party! I thought I could play the part of son-in-law! I was kind enough to let you see your little girl. But you had to go and stick your nose where it didn't belong! So I'm through being nice. I think you need an object lesson. You need to understand...that I'M IN CHARGE! I own YOU...I own this company...and most importantly, I own...YOUR DAUGHTER!_

_"McMahon...I want a match at Over The Edge. You vs me. If you win, you get the WWF back, and you get your daughter back. If I win...I get my title shot...and I keep this company. At Over The Edge, I will play multiple roles. Judge, jury, executioner, husband...and owner."_

_"Taker wants a match with Vince! Ownership of this company, and Stephanie McMahon's freedom on the line! But the question is, will Vince McMahon accept the challenge?"_

~~~MOD~~~

"The war between Vince McMahon and the Ministry continues tonight! We welcome you to RAW is WAR from the O-Rena from Orlando, Florida! Hello, everyone! I'm Jim Ross, along with my broadcast colleague, Jerry 'The King' Lawler. It has been two weeks since Stephanie McMahon was kidnapped and married against her will, becoming, as the Undertaker has so eloquently put it, the Mistress of Darkness."

"Has it been that long, JR?"

"It has, King," JR answered his colleague. "Controversy and creativity are the two words that have been uttered the most when describing the new direction of the WWF. But that new direction may be short lived, if Vince McMahon has anything to say about it. And last night, on Sunday Night Heat, Stephanie McMahon announced via pre-recorded video that she'd escaped the Ministry, and then pleaded with her dad to stop her husband. In case you haven't seen the video, we'll go it right now..."

~~~MOD~~~

"JR, is it me," Lawler wondered, after the video clip ended. "Or did I hear some the fans calling Stephanie some rude names during the broadcast of that video?"

"You know what, come to think of it, the reaction to that video was quite mixed, not just in front of this audience, but last night on Heat, there were a few choice words being bandied about. Stephanie making her escape, that's something worth cheering over, but there's people calling her a slut, among other things. Keep in mind, King, who Stephanie's father is, and what his history is as well."

"We all know how we feel about Mr. McMahon, but is it necessary to put that on his innocent daughter?" Lawler wondered, as the lights dimmed and the Ministry's music rumbled through the arena. "That's uncalled for."

"King, that's one thing we can agree on, as the Ministry makes their way to ringside. We've been informed by Paul Bearer that the Undertaker's going to address the situation with Vince McMahon, as well as his demand to face the former owner of the WWF in a No Holds Barred Match at Over the Edge."

The Ministry walked to the ring to start off the festivities. Midian stepped in first, clutching his European Championship like a beloved teddy bear. Viscera was next, followed by the Acolytes, and finally, Bearer and "The In-law from Hell," as JR so bluntly put it.

Taker grabbed the mic as soon as the music died down. "You know what..." he began, as the crowd began a loud _a-hole!_ chant. "...I am REALLY not in the mood tonight. For the benefit of those of you who haven't been keeping score, last week, some THIEVERY took place. A crime was committed. My opportunity to face Steve Austin for the WWF Championship at Over the Edge was stolen from me. MY opportunity was STOLEN, and I think you all know who stole it from me.

"Vince McMahon - I know I've been a thorn in your side for months. Even more so after I married your daughter. You just can't LIVE with the fact that I beat you at your own game. It has burned a hole in you like nothing has ever burned a hole in you before. You've put put road block after road block in front of me to keep me from my goals. And my goals were simple. Own the World Wrestling Federation. Done. Make Stephanie one with my Ministry. Done, albeit begrudgingly. And most important of all...become the World Wrestling Federation Champion.

"I wouldn't be standing here airing my grievances if I'd reached all three of my goals. And two out of three...it's just not good enough.

"Vince McMahon - you committed a crime. And you will pay for your crime, starting tonight, Vince my Ministry will be your judge, your jury, AND you executioner, so get your punk ass out here...NOW."

Vince McMahon appeared on the entrance ramp, as "No Chance in Hell" blasted through the arena. "Oh boy. Undertaker - you seem ... upset. I agree with you, that people should pay for crimes. And if I were a member of the Ministry of Darkness, I'd be thinking about paying for my crime - I'd be thinking about...the penalties associated with the crimes that you have committed against me, my family, and my former employees."

"Crimes such as...breaking into my home and stealing my daughter Stephanie's most treasured possession. Crimes such as stalking, invasion of privacy, and assault, in the case of my son, Shane, and the photographs you had taken of Stephanie during her most private moments. If I were a member of the Ministry of Darkness, I'd REALLY be worried about the multiple counts of kidnapping that you committed, especially the two counts of kidnapping involving my daughter.

"You talk about paying for my crimes, well, all of you...especially you, Undertaker...are one to talk. I think we should all remember the reasons why I committed a 'crime' against you last week. As a matter of fact, I have some footage of my own to show you. Perhaps this will jog all your collective memories."

Vince stepped back and pointed up towards the Titantron. A video began to play, which provided the Cliff Notes version of the Ministry of Darkness storyline:

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Rather than write out the video that Vince put together, I'm going to save the reader some time and trouble (and potential boredom) and move the story along. Go to dailymotion dot com and type in "WWF Higher Power Storyline". Play it and stop the video at 2:42, before Steve Austin barges in to ruin the moment.  
**

After the video finished, Vince stood back and folded his arms across his chest. He had a smug look on his face that made Mark want to slap it off.

Shaking his head, the Lord of Darkness said, "Is that all you got?" He paused. "Vince...I know that you do everything for a reason. And everything I did was for a reason. If you remember, about three months ago, when I announced to the world what my objectives were. You knew how confident I was. Because I knew I owned your heart and soul. You were so preoccupied with your petty obsessions, that I put together an army right under your nose that destroyed your Corporation. You don't have a leg to stand on, and you know it.

"I know you want to come out here with your guns a-blazing, but if you touch me right now, I will sue you for whatever you have left over in your pockets. Because I know what would happen if you tried to get in the ring with me right now. You'd find some way to screw me over, the same way you've screwed countless others, Vince. You'd get the WWF back, and you'd fire me and my Ministry the day after, wouldn't you? No. Not gonna happen, Vince. No, what I propose is this - tomorrow you get on the phone and have that team of lawyers that you have work so diligently at screwing over everybody who so much as looks at you wrong – have them draw up a contract that states that you and me will meet in the ring in a No Holds Barred match.

"Let's make this as personal as we possibly can get. So Vince, draw up those papers and get them to me. What that contract should also state is, Vince, that no matter how bad I beat you. No matter how bad I stop you - you can do NOTHING to me afterwards. I can not be fired, I can't be attacked legally or monetarily. No one from your family, and none of your lawyers can do anything about it...after I beat you THAT CLOSE to the edge of your life. And Vince, it seems to me that the perfect date for such an event would be...Over The Edge. The next overhyped pay-per-view, right? Well ...one more time, it will be done. So, Vince. Do we have a deal?"

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I know it's a cliffhanger, but Vince is really trying to stretch things out. His strategy is simple; stall Mark and his crew long enough for Vince to file the necessary paperwork for a lawsuit. But Mark, Stephanie, and the others have plans of their own up their sleeves, so fat chance of a lawsuit ever taking shape. **

**On a personal note, I'm happy to say that my family is safe. The flood waters in my area got to within 10 feet of our property, but our house was spared, save for our pantry, which got two inches of water as an indirect result of the flooding. Luckily, we cleaned that up before any mold or mildew issues could set in.**

**BTW, we did lose some items in a storage shed, but when you take into account what so many others are going thru in our area, we're pretty fortunate.**

**However, our roommate/business partner lost her job and has no $ coming in. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers, and hopefully she can find some kind of work soon:(**

**REVIEWS = LOVE**


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